Please don't hate me after this chapter. It will get better, but there are a few issues that really need to be worked out.

Again, I don't own these characters. I only borrow them from the Queen herself CH.

As I reached my kitchen, the hum of the refrigerator was strangely comforting in the silent void of my house. I had opened the refrigerator door and sought comfort food. I saw some chocolate that Amelia had left and some iced tea. I took the chocolate from it's hiding place in the door and grabbed the pitcher. I made my way over to the cupboard to grab a glass and suddenly I heard a sound outside that broke the silence. The glass slipped from my hand and shattered all over the floor. Nice job Sookie, now the whole world knows your home and scared. I decided to peer out the window. Nothing. Absolute blackness. Did I actually expect to see anything, it was after midnight for crying out loud? I decided to walk over to my front door and look through the peephole. I staggered and nearly fell, grabbing onto the couch to steady myself. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity I made it to my front door. I looked through the peephole. Nothing. What did you expect, Sookie? The prowler standing on your front porch! I turned around and could have sworn that I saw movement in my peripheral (yesterday's word of the day) vision.

"Is anyone there?" My voice sounded shaker than I meant for it to sound. Suddenly a familiar warmth and calm spread over my body and I knew it was Eric.

"Sookie," Eric breathed as he stepped out of my bedroom, "Lover, you should really keep your window locked. Anyone can come into your home that way. I figured that you would be sleeping so I did not want to disturb you. I was just going to slip into bed with you for awhile." Eric tended to drop contractions when he was anger. Eric did not appear anger, maybe he was nervous. Eric nervous, the thought almost made me laugh, almost.

"What the hell are you doing sneaking into my home after midnight? Where the hell have you been? Why couldn't I feel your presence through the bond before a moment ago?" Tears almost sprang into my eyes with all the emotions of the past few days. I held them back and decided anger was the better emotion to express at this point. I was anger at Eric. Where was he when Bill came to rescue me?

Feeling calm wash over me, I pushed it back I did not want to feel calm. "Sookie, what are you doing?" Eric had almost a confused expression on his face.

"What do you mean, what am I doing, what are you doing?" Now I was infuriated. Why does he think he can ask questions of me barging into my house at this hour?

"Lover, I came to check on you to make sure that you are healing and are all right. I could feel the pain you have been in the last few days and I wanted to see if you needed additional assistance and healing from me. I was simply going to crawl into bed with you and check you over. This is the first time I've been able to get away and I wanted to come and see you. I did not mean to frighten you. I only came to offer you assistance." Eric sincerely looked like he meant every word, but I was mad. He looked at me almost with puppy dog eye, his muscles defined through his shirt, and oh the pants… Sookie, focus, you are mad at him remember.

"Eric I don't want to talk to you right now and I don't need any of you assistance." I practically spat the last word out at him like it was disgusting to me. I was so dismayed at him for wanting to giving me assistance. Why now, why not when I needed saving? Why did Bill have to save me? Sure, Eric had saved me quite a few times, but if it weren't for him, I would never have actually needed saving.

"Lover, please listen. There is much that I need to discuss with you. Please, sit on the couch with me so we can talk for a few moments." He hesitatedly walked towards me. I don't know if I've ever seen Eric hesitate, well except when he was cursed. He reached up for my hand and I flinched away. For a second I thought I saw pain in his eyes, but then it was gone. I got no other hint of emotion radiating from Eric. He reached for my hand again and firmly grasped my hand in his. I could feel through the bond warmth, calm, affection, and something I couldn't put my finger on, …anxiety.

He pulled me gently and my whole body screamed with pain. Eric looked back into my face and suddenly realized that I was in agony. He gently picked me up, I tried really hard not to wince, but I did anyway. He walked with careful movements over to the couch and laid me on it. He grabbed the blanket that draped over the couch and tenderly tucked it around my body. He sat on the other end of the couch and gingerly place my feet on top of his lap. He affectionately stroked my legs then turned his attention to me. I was determined to not break the silence, he had a lot of explaining to do. He was going to go first.

After a few agonizing minutes he finally broke the silence by saying, "Let me begin by answering one of your questions. You could not feel my presence through the bond because I was shielding it." He saw the look of confusion on my face that quickly turned to anger then said, "I have the ability to shield my vampire scent. That is one of my vampire gifts, but when I shield my scent it also shields the bond. Before I made my presence known, I checked the outside perimeter to make sure that no smell of danger existed around your home. I had to speak with you on a few private matters and did not want our conversations heard by outside parties. Victor has been in town and I wanted to make sure that he, nor anyone else has paid you a visit. That is why you could not feel me until I was inside your home. Usually Bill is around to check up on you, but since he's…not available, I have." The minutes were ticking by. I was trying to digest what Eric had just told me but it raised even more questions in my mind. Why would Victor check on me? Isn't the war over, why would I need to be watched? Finally, Eric has been here the last few nights and never made his presence known? Why?

So I picked the one question that I needed the answer to now, "If you have been here the last few nights why did you not come to see me?" I had spent the last few nights thinking that no one cared about me and wishing I was dead. I could have used some comfort, even if it came in the form of a vampire.

"Like I said, Victor is in town. I could only leave Fangtasia for a few minutes to sweep your woods and check the scents to make sure you were not in any danger. Why did you miss me so much lover?" There it is right there, cocky and confident Eric. My blood began to boil and I could feel my anger beginning to grow.

"No, I did not miss you. I was wondering where you were. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I wanted news on Bill's recovery. And, what right do you have to call me lover? Because we've had casual sex once in a while does not give you the right to call me that." Now, I could clearly see the anger on his face. He stopped stroking my legs and his whole body became ridged as a plank. His eyes blazed like fire.

"You are my lover. You are mine to protect. No one can…"

I cut him off, "No you don't buddy. You may have manipulated me into marrying you with the knife ceremony, but in my mind it doesn't make me yours." If Eric could have shot daggers out of his eyes I would have been dead. Talk about looks that could kill.

"I had you pledged to me to save your life, De Castro wanted you for his own. He would have…" I cut him off again. I was not through with what I had to say. I removed my feet from his lap and sat up straighter.

I glared at him and began, "Besides saving me what other motives did you have for doing this? Why couldn't Quinn enter the area without your permission?" I'll be damned if I did not hear the answer to this question. I wanted to know what exactly being pledged to him meant.

He shifted slightly. Again, a rare thing for Eric. I knew what was coming I did not want to hear. "Sookie, the knife ceremony means that you are pledged to me and me alone. You have to understand our politics, I did this to save you."

"Eric, you still haven't told me exactly what you did." I was really starting to loose my patience. He has dodged my question two three times already. This must be really bad.

"To the supe community you are my wife," Eric said again trying to dodge my question. He gave me this look of exasperation.

"Which exactly means what, Eric. Spit it out." Rescinding his invitation to my home would feel really good about now, but I needed answers. So I held that card in my back pocket and put on my best poker face.

"If any supe speaks to you without my consent, they are penalized." That was the vaguest explanation I have ever heard. Penalized, how.

"How are they penalized, Eric. Do they have to pay you money, be your slave…, "

"The penalty is death. But, you see this is for your protection. Victor, De Castro cannot speak to you without me involved." The full weight suddenly sunk in of what he just said.

"So Quinn, is sentenced to death because he came to see me without your consent?" I meant to shout it at him, but it came out in a breathed whisper. I said the words so slowly so they registered in my own head as I said them.

"Yes, he is." Even though Eric appeared to look regretful, I knew better. Nothing I have felt over the last two days could even compare to how I felt at this very moment. I felt dead. My whole body was dead at the moment.

"Eric, I rescind your invitation into my home." The shock that came across his face almost pained me to take what I said back. Almost. I watched as he quickly walked backwards towards the door. Before, he could say anything I slammed it in his face. My final thought was on Gran who would have strongly disapproved of my behavior towards my guest. But, at the moment I didn't care. I have never been one to faint, but for the second time in a week the room began to spin and I collapsed onto the floor. Everything went black.