I do not own Eric or Sookie, but I do love them so...

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Eric's POV

The King and his entourage had just left and Pam and I were in my office discussing some of the changes that Felipe would be requiring. "I am relieved that the King will not require much more of us than what the Queen had," I said to Pam.

"Yes," Pam replied, "It is good to know that he is being reasonable." That's when I felt Sookie push our bond. I hadn't felt her in so long that a smile came to my lips. "What is it Eric?" Pam asked cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

"Just a thought," I responded curtly. And then I pushed Sookie away. I have to keep her away for just a little while longer.

"About?"

"Nothing," I knew Pam wasn't buying it. And I could feel that Sookie had become irate and was on the verge if something. "That will be all Pam."

Pam looked at me and shook her head, "Very well." Then she walked out of the office and shut the door behind her.

That's when I heard Sookie clearer than I had in months. "ERIC NORTHMAN, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND AS MAD AS YOU ARE MAKING ME I STILL WANT YOU. I WILL BE HERE WAITING FOR YOU TO COME TO ME WHEN YOU THINK THE TIME IS RIGHT!" She slammed it through our bond and it went through me like lightning. I gathered myself and then pushed my contentment back to her through the bond and found myself smiling. "That fucking woman," I laughed to myself.

I could feel that something had shifted within Sookie. She was no longer miserably unhappy. I desperately wanted to seek her out. But, it was too soon. I need at least one more day to be sure it was safe. I had to let her know that things were going to change. My feelings were getting in the way of what I knew I had to do. I needed to take more time. I needed to stay away from her. If she hadn't pushed through our bond tonight I wouldn't even be having these fucking thoughts. Then it occurred to me… she still loves me! She is waiting for ME! I needed to get word to her. I needed to let her know that I heard her and that we will be together again, soon. I wrote some thoughts down on a piece of paper and stuffed the paper in the back pocket of my jeans. I stood up and walked out of the office and went to the bar to find Pam. I found her behind the bar and told her I was going out and would be back in an hour. She nodded and I was gone. I went out the back of the bar and went straight into the air. Flying would be much faster than driving.

Within moments I found myself at her house, standing next to her car. I could smell her and I found her scent intoxicating. The lights were out inside her house, but I still knew I had to go inside and see her. I walked up to the porch and found the front door locked. Luckily, I knew where there was a spare. I took my keys from my pocket and unlocked her front door and walked quietly into her house. I started towards her bedroom realizing that nothing had changed. Everything was just how it had been on the night of the take-over. Everything seemed to be in its place.

I paused when I found myself at her bedroom door. The door was open and I could see her lying on her bed asleep. She was lying on her stomach with her face turned towards the door. Her golden hair was tousled all over her pillow. Her arms were crooked under her pillow supporting her head and she had one delicious foot out of her covers. She was beautiful. I wanted to crawl into bed behind her, but I wasn't ready to wake her. I went and stood beside her bed and watched her sleep. Eventually, I kneeled down in front of her and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Eric," she sighed, "I love you, please stay." If I hadn't been looking directly at her face I would have sworn she was awake, but she was sound asleep. Every physiological thing about her body said she was. Here breathing was shallow and steady and her heartbeat was slow and regular. Her eyes were closed and her face was completely at peace. But, through our bond she knew I was there. I sat down on the floor with my back to the wall so I could continue to watch her sleep. "I don't want to leave you," I whispered out loud to her. She didn't even startle.

I could feel the sun beginning to come up and I knew had only a few choices: go into the ground or go into the "hidey-hole" in Sookie's closet. I chose to stay in Sookie's home. I needed to call Pam. "Pam, I am not able to make it back in time. I am safe. I will be in touch with you when I rise." I hung up the phone before Pam could reply.

I kissed Sookie gently on her lips and found myself lingering there for a moment breathing her in. I stood up and looked down at her. She was breath-taking. I shook my head, wondering how I could have ever been so lucky to have found her. "Lucky or cursed?" I asked myself. I took the note out of my pocket and put it on her nightstand and went into the hidey hole to rest for the day.

Once I settled into the hole, I began to think about what needed to happen in the next few days. There was no way around our reunion now. I was here. In her home and she would not turn me away now. We needed to come together and form a plan. At least I needed her to think we had made the plan together. There were several options. I didn't think that Sookie would entertain the "fangbanger" option. The second option would be to take her into my home and have her eventually, become my wife. Although this is the option she would be most willing to consider, it will be just as difficult for her to accept. There was a third option… turn her. This is my favorite option. She would be much safer if she were a vampire. But for Sookie, it was completely out of the question... Fucking woman!

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Sookie's POV

I woke up slowly. I could see the sun light through my eyelids and I didn't want to open my eyes. I wanted to sleep a little longer. I took a deep breath and stretched my arms up above my head and pushed my feet towards the end of my bed. It felt good to stretch. Wait a minute… something has changed.

I feel good. That's new.

I smiled to myself and opened my eyes. I looked up at the ceiling and took another deep breath. 'What exactly am I feeling?' I thought. I felt relief, I felt happy and I felt love. And I felt for Eric through our bond and I could feel that he was no longer trying to push me away. He was content and he was relieved as well. Then I was overwhelmed with an ache in my chest. It wasn't the pain that I had been growing accustomed to. It was a desire to be with him, to see him and to touch him.

I rolled on to my side and looked to see what time it was. 10:00 a.m., "I guess I should get up!"

I threw my feet over the edge of my bed and sat right up. I got up off of my bed and went to the bathroom. When I was done I threw my hair up into a pony-tail and decided to go make myself a bowl of cereal. This was the best I had felt in a really long time and I almost didn't know what to do with myself.

I walked to the kitchen witha smile on my face, ready to make some cereal, but when I opened the fridge there wasn't any milk. Oh well, I guess I need to go shopping. I guess I would have to settle for some coffee. I started the pot and decided to go pick out my clothes for the day. I needed to go get some food today. I couldn't remember the last time I was so hungry.

I walked into my room and pulled out a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. I turned to leave my room and then I decided to make my bed. I threw my pillows onto the floor and then straightened my covers. As I bent down to pick up my pillows I noticed a somewhat crumpled piece of paper on my night stand. My heart lurched into my throat. I knew who it was from. I immediately recognized his handwriting. Eric had been here last night! He had been in this room and stood in this very spot! I set the pillows on the bed and went over to the table to pick up the paper. I looked down at the paper and saw his perfect handwriting, "Sookie." As I picked up the paper, my heart began to race and I sat down on my bed. I held the piece of paper to my chest and took another deep breath and closed my eyes. I exhaled, opened my eyes and looked at Eric's note.

My lover,

I felt you through our bond. I am closer than you know. I will come to you tonight.

E

I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I didn't bother to wipe it away. I fell back onto my bed and held Eric's note to my chest. Could this really be happening? I was excited and scared. There was so much that we needed to discuss and I just couldn't wait to set my eyes on his beautiful face. I looked up at the ceiling and said, "Our lives are never going to be the same." I lifted the note back up and I couldn't help but read it over and over again, memorizing each sentence, each word and each letter.

At some point I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I looked at the clock it said 2:23. I sat up and found that I still had my note in my hand. I smiled down at it. I stood up and looked at the clothes I had put on. 'I think I can do a little better than that,' I thought to myself.

I went to my closet and looked for a dress and I found the one I had worn the first time I had gone to Fangtasia with Bill. 'Yeah, he'll like that one.' I went to my dresser and pulled out a sexy white lace bra and the matching panties. I couldn't help but smile. Tonight was going to be fun. I set my clothes out on my bed and decided that I definitely need to eat something.

Deciding to run to the grocery store, I went into the kitchen to grab my keys and my purse. I looked quickly at the coffee pot and chuckled to myself, "Thank God for automatic shut-offs." And then I headed out the door.

I got into my car and headed down my driveway. I decided to go to Wal-mart. They would have everything I could possibly need. I found myself grinning ear-to-ear. 'Why am I so happy today?' I thought to myself. There was only one answer and I knew what it was… Eric. I was going to able to see him tonight. I needed to figure out what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. I knew I loved him, but was I ready to admit that to him? It would give him so much power over me that he would surely use against me. I knew I needed him almost more than I needed to breathe. But I could I trust him with these feelings?

Then is struck me, "How many bullets does he have to take for you to trust him?" I said to out loud to myself. I thought about all the times he could have forced himself on me and he had always respected my wishes. I realized that he could have turned me into a vampire any time he had wanted to and there wouldn't have been anything anyone could have done to stop him. If Sam was right, Eric was trying to protect me. Why would he protect me if I didn't mean something to him?

Before I could answer that question, I found myself in the Wal-mart parking lot. I grabbed my purse and headed into the store to do some shopping. The shopping went very quickly. I only needed a few things. I had a craving for chicken and maybe a steak. I went to the meat section and picked up a nice sized steak and a couple of chicken breasts. I picked up a six-pack of True Blood for Eric and once again found myself smiling. I had a flash of him standing in my kitchen with his back to me. He didn't have a shirt on and his jeans barely stayed upon his hips. He had gone into the kitchen to get us a drink and was standing in front of the microwave waiting for his "blood" to heat up. Eric had heard me walk up behind him and turned to look at me. He was smiling his mischievous, crooked smile. I gasped when I saw that the front of his pants were wide open. "Come here," he had said and I obeyed. Before I knew it he had me on the counter...

I shook my head, but kept smiling, 'Girl, get yourself under control.' I needed to get out of the store. I checked out quickly and headed to my car. I got into the car and pulled away from Wally world. I still had a smile plastered on my face. I physically couldn't wait for tonight. I needed him badly. My thoughts turned from how good the sex was going to be to what it all was really going to mean to the two of us. To me this was going to be life-altering. There would be no going back to my "normal" life. I chuckled to myself at the idea of a "normal" life. I had to wonder what I really wanted for US and at this point I almost wanted him in whatever capacity he would take me. I would never be a "fangbanger". Casual sex has never been my thing. I need some type of commitment. But would Eric the mighty Viking vampire want a commitment with me? I guess that was really the question.

Once I got home, I put my groceries away and checked the time. It was a little after 4:00. I wasn't sure what time Eric would be rising let alone how long it was going to take him to get here. He did say he was close though. He surely wouldn't be staying at Bill's and I knew Eric wasn't overly fond of going into the ground without good reason. He wouldn't have gone into the "hidey hole" would he? I walked into the bedroom and looked in the closet and sure enough the shoes and basket that had been on the floor of the closet had been moved to the side. HE WAS HERE! I walked to the closet and put my hands on the floor. "I can't wait to see you," I said to Eric and tried my best to push that feeling through our bond. I stood up and decided to grab a quick bite to eat and then get ready to see Eric.

I made myself a sandwich and a glass of milk and inhaled it all very quickly. All I could think of was Eric making me come on the kitchen floor. I did my dishes and then I felt myself almost running to my bedroom to get my clothes and to begin getting ready. I went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Oh yes, the shower. I loved being with him in my shower. We would definitely be doing that again soon! I got in and washed my hair and then my body. I could swear I could feel his hands caressing my body. Alrighty then… time to get out of the shower. I toweled off and went to the bedroom to get dressed. When I put on the dress I started to get really nervous and I began to hyperventilate. I plopped down on my bed and put my head into my hands. "What am I doing?" I felt myself begin to fall back into my old frame of mind. 'Why are you doing this for Eric? He hasn't bothered to call you in months. You haven't seen him in months. He couldn't possibly need you the way you need him. He couldn't.' I was beginning to cry and then I felt him push comfort through our bond. I took a deep breath and tried to stop crying.

I thought of what Sam told me the last night. If Eric could be with me he would and that Eric was trying to protect me. Sam never liked me being involved with vampires and for him to say anything positive about Eric really meant something. I knew Eric had feelings for me, feelings that he hated having. Even if he didn't have the same feelings for me that I had for him, I needed to put mine out on the table. I could not go on like this anymore. I think it would kill me if I had to. "Alright Sookie, GET UP and finish getting ready," I ordered myself. I took another deep breath and stood up. I walked to the bathroom and looked at my reflection. I decided I needed to blow dry my hair and put on a little make-up and finish getting ready. I took one last look at myself in the mirror and said, "You can do this!" I went into the bedroom and sat on the bed and waited for Eric to rise.

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a/n: what do you think? let me know... :-)