**Author's Note**

This chapter came along quicker than expected! Thanks to everyone for their kind reviews and alerts, they make my day!

Next chapter will be up by the end of the week, we meet an old friend and there will be lemons!

As always, the mistakes are mine and reviews are love:)

Take care!

~Miss M.


Chapter 2

The old farmhouse stood silent in the moonlight. There was no sign of life as Eric swooped down from the sky. Landing in front of the recently completed wrap-around porch he paused for a moment looking up at the home that housed the Stackhouses for generations. It was empty now. Eric took in the changes in the house since he bought it. He had men working around the clock since he purchased it 4 months earlier. He gave strict orders to have the house completely refurbished without losing any original work or details. The contents of the house had been meticulously catalogued and placed in storage with a few exceptions so they could be brought back in when the house was complete. All would be as it was when she left. He was pleased with his purchase and saddened at the same time. Jason Stackhouse had lost hope that his sister would return. Eric wanted her house but not because her family had given up on her. Jason assumed Sookie became a vampire's meal and was unaware Eric was the new owner. Jason didn't even question the buyer's identity.

When Eric purchased the house he let himself envision her reaction when she returned to find her home restored. It was her smile he saw. In his dreams Sookie was always happy and he was always the cause of it. Her face was forefront in his mind almost constantly. He preferred imagining her smiling than remembering the look of fear on her face the night he offered her up to Edgington as a prize. Watching another vampire feed from her in his presence nearly broke him. Even after betraying her she still risked her life to save him from the sun. He was blinded by his need to avenge his family. Guilt and regret over his actions consumed him for the first time since he was human. He could feel her fear and knew he was the cause of it. He did not like it. He knew then the depth of his feelings for her. She was everything to him. He would not live without her any longer.

Walking up the front steps he withdrew his key to the front door. Once inside he made his way up the staircase. Standing in the doorway of her bedroom he tried to imagine her there. At home doing the most mundane and routine chores. He imagined her walking the halls of her house and heard her laughter throughout the rooms. He saw her in her Merlotte's uniform getting ready to work, eating a meal in her kitchen with her family & friends and sitting on the front porch watching the sunset. He grew frustrated with his imagination. He had no way of knowing if his fantasies, however tame they were, would ever come true.

Eric walked in her bedroom and took his usual place at her bedside. He lowered his large frame to the floor, leaning his back against her bed as he stared out the window at the night sky. He spent many nights here since purchasing her home. No longer did his needs and wants come first. Sookie might be gone but every single action he took was for her now. He let his mind wander, focusing instead on his memories of her and not silly fantasies. He immediately thought back to their kiss at Fangtasia just over a year ago. He kissed her many times in his dreams and in the dreams they shared as a result of their blood bond. But this kiss was real.

She came to him looking for answers, wanting to know why she should not put her trust in Bill. She knew deep down she should not trust her heart to Bill but wanted to hear it from him. Thinking back he realized now that he would do anything for her, even then. Even if he wasn't ready to admit it to himself. He felt her coming to him that night. Felt her jumble of emotions through the bond. Uncertainty, fear and a hint of lust. His own lust roared back at hers through the bond and he reined it in. She wasn't in the room yet and he was already hard with the thought of her. She entered filling the room with her sweet scent. He could feel she was worried about him. She demanded to know why she should not trust Bill. He ignored the talk of Compton.

How can she talk of that fool now? Does she not see what she does to me? Does she not know how close I am to taking her away from here and keeping her in my arms forever? How does she do this to me? I haven't even kissed this woman and I'm planning forever with her. A forever we might not have.

He was suddenly standing before her an inch from her face. He heard her breath catch in her throat and her heart flutter with his nearness. "Here's the truth. There are forces beyond even my control. If I meet the true death without ever having kissed you Sookie Stackhouse, that would be my biggest regret." The words were out of his mouth before he realized he said them aloud. He watched her absorb what he said.

"Why does it feel like you are saying goodbye to me?" she asked searching his eyes for an answer.

"Because I am."

Eric focused on the one emotion coming from her he knew was directed towards him and acted on it. He crushed his lips to hers, placing one hand on the back of her neck and the other around her small waist as he pulled her to him, pressing her body against his. She gave him a small fight at first but they both knew it was just for show. She quickly returned his kiss, her hot mouth working against his as he held on to her with more longing than he knew he had. He knew she wanted him as he wanted her. He could feel it. He could feel her and she felt like heaven.

She will yield to me. He deepened the kiss, moving his tongue against her lips exploring her mouth and wishing he had all night with her. The pure taste of her made his legs shake and he wanted more. His hands moved across her body, searching and memorizing every curve.

She will yield to me and she will be mine. Compton is a fool who does not deserve her. I will meet the True Death before Russell gets his hands on her, Sookie is mine! Thoughts of possession and lust coursed through him as she moaned softly in his mouth. Her tongue grazed the tip of his fang while her hands threaded through his hair pulling him closer to her. He barely kept his fangs from dropping. Feeling her like this was a dream come true.

She pulled away from him leaving him dazed with want. She accused him of falling under the spell of her fairy blood. He looked at her, confused by her statement. Her blood was divine there was no question about it. But it was not her blood that called him. It was her. All that Sookie was drew him to her. Fairies were quite rare but Sookie was not the first one Eric had encountered. He had come across a few full-blooded fairies and hybrids over his long lifetime. But none held his attention as she had. She was the whole package. She brought out a reaction in him he never thought possible. One does not roam the earth for over one thousand years without recognizing the shift in him her existence brought about.

He knew nothing would be the same the night she came into Fangtasia on the arm of Bill Compton. She shone like a star in the sky that night. All the sinful things he wanted to do to her in that white & red dress played out in his head she crossed the bar to sit at a table directly in his line of sight. If she had any idea what that dress did to him. At first he attributed his constant thoughts of her as pure lust. He knew she was different but he was certain once he spent a night between her legs the feeling would pass. But he didn't want her like he wanted others. He wanted to do more than fuck her. He wanted to worship her. He did not recognize the intensity of his feelings for Sookie then. An easy mistake to make for one not accustomed to any emotion other than the ones that drove him to feed, fuck and survive.

As time passed and he had more encounters with Sookie it became obvious to him she was different. He was different. He ignored the changes in his behaviour and his irrational actions. He knew he was acting against instinct and everything he knows. Against all he taught his child regarding humans and forming attachments with them. He ignored Pam's biting comments and questions about his dealings with Sookie. He again tried to convince himself that it was lust that drove him and once he had his fill of her he would toss her aside and move on. But deep down he knew that was not true. He knew he longed for more than her touch. He wanted her to be his in every way possible. He would possess her and he would be everything to her.

He tricked her into the blood bond out of pure, selfish want. He knew it was wrong and she would resent him for it but he was helpless. He did not regret doing it and he looked forward to making it up to her. His maker would be ashamed of him. It would not be the last stupid decision Eric Northman made when it came to Sookie. He watched her fall in love with Bill Compton when he knew Bill's hidden agenda. Rage filled him thinking of Compton's betrayal. For the first time in his vampire life Eric felt jealousy. Compton did not deserve the treasure he had and was only using Sookie for his own gain. Eric tried removing Bill from Sookie's life using Lorena but it only resulted in bringing her to Russell Edgington's attention. He needed to take Russell out before he could deal with anything else. He told himself it was revenge he sought but he knew deep down if he did not take out Russell, Russell would take Sookie. He would not let that happen. Sookie thought he was saying good bye to her that night. If he only knew then that she would leave him.

Coming out of his reverie, Eric placed his head in his hands. He drew a deep breath, completely unnecessary, but he did so for comfort. The faint scent of Sookie filled his lungs and he felt peace for a moment. She was his only source of comfort. He longed for the night of their kiss. To see her, touch her and feel her through their bond. As much as she resented their connection, Eric was lost without it. He kept his side of the bond closed so she would not feel him. When she returned he would do so no more. It was the only way she would understand him. He needed his Bonded to complete him. To make him whole again.

He rose from her bedside and trailed his fingertips across her bed as he left her bedroom. He walked the house checking every room as he passed. All was the same and the house seemed to be filled with anticipation, waiting for its owner to return. He locked the house up and made his way across the yard in the direction of the King's residence. Eric was heading to the cemetery. He could think of no other place to spend the evening than the place where she left this world one year ago.

In the year since Sookie left Eric spent every waking minute searching for her. He exhausted all of his contacts with no avail. Not a single sighting or whisper of a beautiful blonde telepath. He suspected everyone and still maintained surveillance over her friends and family, along with Compton. The Sheriff is completely thorough in his search and left no stone unturned. And despite not a single development in his search, he has not given up. He won't. His hopes might lessen but he knows he will search for her until she is found. He is aware that she might not want to be found and it hurts him to know it. Eric remembers the pain he felt from her the last night he saw her. He winces at the memory, knowing it was him who revealed Bill's betrayal to her. He did not want to cause her such suffering but she had a right to know. One year later, he questions his decision.

Stopping in front of the gravestone marked Adele Stackhouse he stares into the night sky. If he did not tell her the truth one year ago would she be here now? He knows it is pointless to think this way but he cannot help himself. While he has no leads on Sookie he does have an idea where she is. He felt her disappear through the bond but he did not feel her die. He knows she is not in his world. He cannot locate her or feel her emotions but he still can feel the bond. It is one-sided and he hates it. It's always there, always looking for its other half. He reaches out to her without even realizing he is doing it until he feels nothing. As if he needed a reminder.

Eric believes Sookie is in Faery. He focused much of his search efforts on the Fae in light of Sookie's heritage. He has only one Fae contact and all of his efforts to reach him have failed but he did discover a group of Fae located close to Bon Temps. He could not however link them to Sookie and he was worried about the rumours he heard of fighting amongst the Fae. Eric is quite confident that Sookie either had found a way to enter their realm or was taken. Given how loyal the Fae are to their kin he knows it is quite possible they came to her one year ago. Her pain that night was intense. A betrayal of the worst kind. That alone could call her kin to her side. While he has no proof she is with them he feels this is the most likely scenario. He does not want to think about the alternatives.

The night passed in silence. Eric stood completely still in the graveyard, slipping into downtime. He knows he is accomplishing nothing by spending the night here but he does not know what else to do with himself. He does not want to go home. He does not want to go to Fangtasia. He had no desire to feed or entertain a fangbanger for the evening. The last human blood he tasted was Sookie's. Because of his age he has been able to survive on True Blood for the past year and could continue to do so for quite sometime. All other blood repelled him. He did not see any others but her. Several months after Sookie went missing Pam had sent him a present. A beautiful petite blonde with soft curves in just the right places. If he saw her from afar he might mistake her for his Bonded for a split second. But she was not Sookie. Sookie was gone and Pam's gift only drove that home for him. He flew into a fit of rage that night. He threw the woman out of his office and chased the crowd out of the bar. Within minutes Fangtasia was destroyed and the staff had fled. Pam spent the next few weeks glamouring and re-building the bar. She did not attempt to appease him with a Sookie substitute again and never spoke of the incident since. He hoped she learned her lesson.

Eric felt the pull of the sun. He knew it would be rising soon and he needed to take shelter. He pauses at the treeline, surveying the graveyard one last time before leaving. Something is off and he cannot explain what it is. He stills again and listens to the night. He hears nothing but still senses that he is being watched. His eyes sweep across the cemetery searching for any sign of his watcher. He fills his lungs with air trying to detect a scent. He finds nothing.

"Show yourself!" his voice booms into the night. His fangs drop and he lets out a low hiss.

He feels a shift in the air, almost as if it is thickening around him. He hears a loud pop to his left and he turns instantly, anticipating attack. A flash of light appears with a crack and suddenly there is a figure standing before him. Eric immediately crouches in a defensive stance, alert and ready for anything. His hands curl as he balances on the balls of his feet, ready to spring at any moment.

The cloaked figure stands motionless. A low growl rumbles from Eric's chest. The figure raises one hand, a gesture meant to calm.

"Steady, Northman! I mean no harm!" came a man's voice.

"Show yourself!" Eric commanded again. "Do not hide from me! Reveal yourself now or I will do it for you" he said, advancing towards the figure.

The man's hand began to glow as bright as a torch. In a brilliant burst the light radiates from the man's hand out in all directions of the cemetery leaving it as light as daytime. Eric has never witnessed anything like it in his existence. Despite the threat he couldn't help look around him in awe. It was as if the sun was shining only on him and the cloaked man. The man took a step towards Eric bringing his hands up to push back his cloak.

"Northman. I believe you are looking for me" he offered, showing his face to Eric.