Disclaimer- I own nothing. Would love to own Eric Northman. But alas I own nothing except the story line.

When Edward left I thought my life was over. Poor Charlie had no idea what to do with me. It wasn't until Angela stopped by that I finally came to my senses. I smiled thinking back on that memory.

Flashback

As my bedroom door slammed open I jumped slightly at the force that it hit the wall. With tear filled eyes I turned to the door to see a fuming Angela standing there, her arms crossed over her chest.

"This has been going on long enough Bella. So that fucker left you. Move on. He obviously wanted you to. You and the Cullens seem to think that I do not know what is going on. I know that the Cullens are vampires." At my gasp she slammed the door closed. "I've known for a long time. I just chose not to say anything. They never hurt anyone and they seemed to love you a great deal. But I could tell that it was only a matter of time before Edward left you. He is not your soul mate Bella. Never has been."

Pulling my pillow into my lap as I sat up tears still streaming down my face, I turned to her as she sat beside me on the bed.

"How can you say that? I know he loved me." I sobbed. Taking my hand in hers, she began to tell me something that I never thought I would believe.

"Bella, sweetie, my mother and I are witches. I have this special ability to see the connection between two people. It's like a tether. When two people are meant to be together it starts out as a thin rope. The longer that they are together the thicker the rope becomes. With you and Edward the rope was never there. You haven't met your true soul mate yet. But you will. But only if you get out of this damn bed and pull yourself together." She hugged me close and then proceeded to drag my ass fully clothed into the bathroom and shoved me into the freezing cold shower.

After that it took some time but I finally realized that Edward never really loved me. If you truly love someone you would never voluntarily leave them. That was 6 years ago. I haven't seen or heard from them since that last day in the forest. Angela and I graduated from Forks High school at the top of our class and then went on to Washington State University. We majored in English Literature and Business Management. Our second year into college the whole world changed. Vampires came out of the coffin. They were different from the Cullens. They had fangs, drank blood and didn't sparkle in the sun. I had always wondered if the vampires from the stories had any amount of truth to them. Come to find out they were all real. The world was in an uproar. Suddenly you were either for vampires or against. Angela and I tried our hardest to stay out of it all. We were neither for nor against. We were happier that way. Just the two of us. Two peas in a pod. As I packed up the last of my things I took one last look around my former dorm room. I was really going to miss this place.

"So this is it?" I turned to the voice to see Angela standing in the doorway of our former room.

"Yup this is it. I'm going to miss you Ang." I said pulling her into a hug.

"Listen here my unbiological sister; this is not the end for us. We have a long history and an even longer future. You are heading down to Louisiana and I am heading to Texas. I see good things for us. I have called my cousin Sookie and she is going to meet you at the airport. You are going to stay with her until you find your own apartment. Hopefully you won't have to deal with her douche of a boyfriend Bill. I didn't tell her everything but I told her about your history with vampires. She knows better than to bring him around. But Bill is like a dog with a bone. He's obsessive with her. Constantly needs to know where she is and what she is doing. He's controlling. But she doesn't see it. She is so in love with him. It's a load of bullshit. If you can try and help her see that while you are living with her. He is keeping her from her soul mate. God Bells, I'm gonna miss you. Your parents would be so proud of you." She stated pulling me into a tight hug.

My parents. God, I miss them. One small thing that he forgot about when he left me in the woods that night. Victoria. The night before my high school graduation I came home to find Charlie sprawled across the living room floor his throat ripped out, his shotgun and shells beside his outstretched hand. Mom and Phil had been staying in my bedroom and hearing my mom's scream I bolted upstairs throwing open my bedroom door to witness Victoria ripping my mother's head off her shoulders. She left me alive though. As she sat there playing in my mother's blood, she began telling me that she knew that Edward wasn't my mate. Just like James hadn't been her true mate but she had loved him. She had been watching me. She had wanted me to suffer like she had. And what better way to make me suffer than take my parents away from me. She left after that and I never saw her again. I was devastated. I graduated but I didn't go to my graduation.

Now I bet you're wondering about Jacob. Well after my parents funerals I went to La Push only to find out that he wouldn't see me. I couldn't understand it. Jacob was my sun. And suddenly my sun wasn't there for me. Sam finally came to speak to me after weeks of calling Jacob with no answer. Jacob and Leah had imprinted. Crazy I know right? And Leah was crazy jealous of our friendship and Jacob decided that it would be better to end our friendship. I was heartbroken once again. And once again Angela brought me back to life. I don't know what I would do without her.

"Ang, I don't know what I would do without you." A small sob escaped my throat as I hugged her tight.

"I know sweetie. But I promise you that I will come visit you and Sookie soon. Now get your butt into that taxi right now or you are gonna miss your flight."

Twenty minutes later I am hugging Angela one last time before climbing into the taxi and headed towards the Washington Airport to begin my life in the great state of Louisiana.

Four hours later I stepped on the plane and looked around for Sookie. I had talked to her a few times on the phone and we became great friends. She came up for our college graduation with her boyfriend Bill. I immediately hated him. He reminded me of him. As I stood there, I gazed around the airport looking for the blond head of hair. Suddenly I heard my name being shouted throughout the crowded room. Snapping my head around I saw her sprinting at me. I braced myself for the impact.

"Bella! I am so glad that you are here finally!" She hugged me tight. Pulling away from me she took my bags sitting next to my feet.

"Sookeh, it's not lady like to run screaming through a crowded airport." Sookie rolled her eyes at me before turning to the voice that was interrupting our reunion. She was always complaining how Bill never said her name right.

"Sorry Bill. I am just so excited to have Bella here. You remember Bella don't you? From Angela's graduation?"

"Yes, Bella it is nice to see you again." His southern drawl sounded forced. Why was she with this ass I would never understand. Angela had said once that Sookie had always wanted a southern gentleman to sweep her off her feet. I guess she finally got what she wanted. But you could see that her happiness never reached her eyes.

"Alright let's go." Sookie said linking her arm with mine and dragging me away from Bill. As Bill loaded my bags into the car, Sookie and I gossiped like two old biddies at a church meeting. Sookie sat in the back with me. Although once he pulled away from the curb the car ride to Sookie's house was silent. About thirty minutes away from the house Bill finally spoke up.

"Bella there are a few things that you need to understand if you are going to be living with Sookeh. Never invite anyone into the house unless I am there. Now that vampires have come out the world population you cannot trust everyone you meet. I will take you to Fangtasia and claim you to be mine for your protection. Especially from Eric Northman." Sookie rolled her eyes behind his back.

"Bill, Eric is not that bad. He is just inappropriate."

"Sookeh, he knows that you are mine yet he continuously tries to take you from me."

"Look William, I appreciate your concern but I am a big girl and I can take care of myself. I don't need you to 'claim' me. I am not yours and I wouldn't be yours if my life depended on it. You remind me of my ex and I don't need another controlling asshole in my life."

"Bella, I am just trying to protect you. You have no idea what Eric Northman is capable of." He sneered at me.

"Look, William I don't know anything about you but I can take care of myself. Just butt out okay asshole. I've had been through more than you can imagine. I can protect myself."

Bill snapped his jaws shut and glared at me the remaining way to Sookie's house. As he pulled into the driveway, he quickly kissed Sookie and sped off.

Stunned I looked to Sookie and she motioned to the brightening sky. Dawn. Nodding my head at her we dragged my bags into the house.

As I flopped down on the couch Sookie plopped next to me handing me a beer. Taking a deep gulp I turned to her and asked the question that I had been dying to ask the first time I had seen her with Bill.

"Sook, why are you with him? He is a condescending ass. He doesn't love you. Yes I know that the next words out of your mouth are going to be yes he does but can you honestly tell me that you felt anything for him before he gave his blood? Think about it honey. Really think about it. Do you really love him or do you love the idea that you can't hear what he is thinking? Think about what he has told you about vampires. God girl, he treats you the same way Edward used to treat me. He treats you like you are made of glass. You're not breakable yet he treats you like he is still back in the Civil War time. I just don't understand your relationship with him."

"I don't know Bells. Things are just so strange. I love the fact that I can't hear him. It's a breath of fresh air. I don't know what my feelings are. When I first met him it was new and different. He wanted to be with me for some reason. But that first night that we went to Fangtasia and I met Eric I just felt this instant attraction to him. God Bells, just wait til you see him. He was a Viking before he was turned. And he looks like everything that a Viking would look like." She stated leaning back against the couch. "He has these amazing blue eyes that I could just swim in. He tries to put on a good tough guy act but I can tell that beneath that persona he puts on to the rest of the world there is so much more to him. But I still have feelings for Bill. I think that I love him but I just don't know any more."

"We'll figure this out sweetie. Now let's get to bed, I gotta look for work tomorrow. Do you think I should look in Shreveport?"

"Well you certainly won't find any jobs that fit your degree in Bon Temps. I gotta work at Sam's tomorrow night. Meet me there after you're done. I'm working the night shift tomorrow."

"Alright. Let's head to bed."

As we walked up stairs, Sookie hugged me once again and before she closed her bedroom door she turned to me once again.

"I'm really glad you're here Bells. I really think that this place is going to be just what you need. Love you girlie."

"Love you too. Night." Closing my bedroom door I pulled on my dad's old Forks PD t-shirt and a pair of shorts climbing into bed. As I lay there staring at the ceiling I couldn't help but wonder what new things this move would bring into my life. I fell asleep quickly and my dreams were filled with thoughts of a man whose face I didn't recognize.