A/N: Your response for the first chapter completely blew me away I'm so happy you liked it. This next chapter will reveal why Sookie was really so upset about Eric leaving. I also want to say a quick note about character development here.

Chapter Two

Most women dream about their wedding when they're little girls. They spend hours sketching out their dress and dreaming about the ceremony and their happily ever after. I was never like that. When I was little, I was more interested in playing dodge ball with my brother Jason than worrying about something as silly as a wedding. In fact, if you had asked me then what I wanted for my wedding I probably would have told you I didn't want one. I didn't like lace and tulle, or fluffy wedding cakes. When I grew older and matured, I saw that you couldn't get married without some sort of wedding, but I still didn't care about all the little stuff that came along with it. All I cared about was the person waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and since I was pretty sure I did that part right, I could have cared less about Bill and my actual wedding. But, I wasn't the only person in this wedding. And I'm not talking about Bill.

Caroline Bellefleur, Bill's grandma on his mom's side, was a proud woman. She'd been born into Bon Temps when it was still a destination, and even as the town slipped she refused to let herself do so, as well. She still lived in her antebellum mansion, and although the paint was peeling a bit now, the landscape just a tad overgrown, it still was the most regal home in all of Bon Temps. She had been thrilled when Bill and I announced our engagement, despite my decidedly lower social status. I was a decent enough match, and now Caroline would get to plan the grandest wedding the South had ever seen.

In the beginning, I had casually suggested having a small ceremony in the land behind my Gran's house, and Caroline had grown so pale that I thought I might have given her a heart attack. Hand floating to her chest, she had told me in no uncertain terms that I was marrying into a fine family, and therefore, I had to do things the right way. I didn't think my idea was really all that wrong, but Bill had laid his hand over mine and told his grandmother that of course we would be having the traditional large wedding. I'd wanted to slap him then, and even more afterwards when he attempted to placate me by saying that this could be the last wedding that his grandmother was alive for. It was a low blow, but it worked. After insisting that my Gran have just as large a part of the planning as Caroline, I swallowed any disgruntlement I had and settled for the large, elaborate wedding that I never wanted.

"I think the bodice is a tad too big," Tara said, glancing up at me from her perch on the upholstered bench. It was deep red in color with cream details, and I longed to know if it was as comfortable as it looked. There was no sitting down in wedding dress shopping, though. My place was on the raised platform, showing off a dress so poufy that I'd probably survive a twenty story fall in it.

"I think everything is too big," I said, arms pressing on the sides of the skirt. Even with slight pressure, my arms stood out at least a foot on each side.

"You don't like the skirt?"

"Do I look like I like the skirt?"

"I think you look nice in it," Tara said. "Besides, isn't the large skirt traditional and all that."

Traditional. I hated that word. I heard it about eighteen times a day. It's traditional for the wedding cake to have at least four layers. It's traditional to have votive candles on the table. It's traditional to blah, blah, blah.

"You know what else is probably traditional? The bride having some control over her own damn wedding."

Tara smirked. "Is Caroline being that bad?"

"Every idea that I've given has been rejected," I told her. "Actually, no, they haven't been rejected. She just looks at me with this pitiful look and asks me, 'Are you sure you think that's the best idea, dear?', as if my choosing whatever I suggested would ensure that each and every person who shows will have the worst time ever. And of course I don't want that."

"So you go along with her?"

I nodded. "If I choose something that doesn't go well, that woman would never let me forget it."

"I'm surprised she's not here."

"Oh, she wanted to be." Caroline had put up quite the fuss when I told her that I didn't want a whole entourage for my wedding dress shopping. Apparently that was against tradition, too. The two I really wanted were Gran and Tara, and when Gran heard all about Caroline's hoopla over not being included, she bowed out to lessen the drama and told me to just go with Tara. I wasn't entirely happy about that because I was afraid Gran would be said about missing out on the shopping, but Gran assured me she didn't mind not going and just made me promise that I would give her a detailed account of my shopping afterwards.

The woman who was helping us at the dress shop swooped in again, clipboard clutched tightly to her chest as she asked, "How are you liking that, Sookie?"

"Do you have anything less…well, less everything?" I asked.

"Less everything?"

"You know, more simple," I tried.

She looked as if she didn't understand and said, "But Mrs. Bellefleur told us to show you only our best."

"The best dress will be the one that fits Sookie," Tara said from her perch. I was very happy I brought her. "Now how about you bring her the damn dress she asked for?"

Tara had a knack for terrifying people, and this woman was not immune. Her eyes went wide and her knuckles turned white as she clutched the clipboard tighter. She nodded a few times, the movement more like hasty jerks than real nods, and then she disappeared into the back of the store.

"Don't worry, Sook," she told me, face serious. "We are going to find you a dress that you like. I don't care if I have to yell at everyone in this town to make it happen."

I grinned. "Thanks Tara."

The woman came back in record time with an armload that I was happy to see didn't include tulle. She struggled to get them all on the rack, but succeeded, turning toward us with a red, winded face.

"I think these may be more of what you are looking for."

I stepped down from the platform, nearly tripping over all the layers of the skirt. I really should have taken this thing off first. Oh well, too late now. I went through the dresses slowly, hoping something would catch my eye. While I didn't spend a lot of my free time (okay, any of my free time) thinking of my wedding dress, I still wanted to like it. There were a few that seemed alright, and then I came upon one that actually gave me pause. It was not at all the type of dress that I would have thought caught my attention. It was what I thought they called a mermaid style, and it was made of intricately woven lace. It wasn't strapless like most of the other dresses I saw, instead it had cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. A delicate row of pearls trailed down the back all the way down to the waist.

"I'd like to try this on, please," I said in a small voice. The lady nodded enthusiastically, relieved that I had like one of the dresses. She led me over to the dressing room and helped me out of the other dress. I stepped into the lace dress, and even without a mirror, when she zipped me up I felt my stomach flip.

I walked out and the look on Tara's face told me everything I needed to know.

"Oh, Sook," she breathed out.

I stepped up onto the platform and turned to look at my reflection in the mirror. I wasn't a crier, but tears filled my eyes at the sight of me in the dress. Where the other dresses had swallowed my petite frame, this dress accentuated it. The lace hugged my curves just the right way and its cream hue offset my tan. The woman had scurried off for a moment and returned with a veil and bouquet. She stood behind me and carefully placed the veil on my head. Next there was the bouquet, and I fell so in love with the dress that I couldn't imagine myself wearing anything else.

"What do you think?" she asked expectantly.

"This is it," I said, smiling at my reflection. "This is the dress."

I went to work that night all happy and smiling after finding my dress. I hadn't expected to be so excited over something so frivolous, but I found myself thinking about that dress more than I liked to admit. I was in a good mood at Merlotte's, a natural smile gracing my face rather than my usual fabricated one as I took orders and filled drinks. I wasn't even rattled when Eric walked in and took a seat. I noticed he wasn't in my section, and thought to myself that today just kept getting better and better.

I kept myself busy with orders and doing other little tasks like checking the levels of the salt and pepper shakers and making sure all the napkin holders were full. Nothing was worse than a table without its fair share of napkins. I was over at the bar, taking a small break to have a diet coke, when I heard snippets of conversation from Eric's table. Terry Bellefleur had taken a seat at the table and was talking in his usual too-loud voice. He was a war vet and all the explosions and gunfire had blown out one of his ear drums. Terry had no sense of inside voices.

"So, you going to be here long?" he asked.

"A few weeks," Eric said, surprising me. I figured he'd just swoop in, try to swoop in on my happy life, and then leave when he failed. I found myself slightly embarrassed that I didn't even consider he was here for a reason that didn't involve me. Way to be presumptuous, Sookie.

"You got work down here or something?"

"No, I don't have work for once," he said, relief evident in his voice. "I've been working non-stop for the past two years and decided it was high time I gave myself a break. What better place to rest than home?"

"Well, we're happy to have you back."

I thought to myself that Terry shouldn't speak for all of us. I saw one of my tables was low on their drinks and I headed over there, asking if they wanted refills. Mary Pickford and her new boy of the month were at the table, and she grinned as she said, "I saw you walking out of a dress shop today. You find your dress?"

I grinned. "Yes, I did."

"Oh! Tell me all about it!" she practically squealed. I could feel Eric's gaze on my back. He was only a table over, and I'm sure he could hear every word of the conversation. Especially with Mary's decibel of speaking. Maybe her and Terry could date after she dumped this one. They could have overly-loud conversations together.

"I don't want to go and ruin the surprise," I said. "But I can tell you it's not one of those poufy dresses."

Mary nodded soberly, as if she had always thought poufy dresses were ridiculous, too. I knew for a fact she wore one in her first wedding.

"Quite right," Mary said. "You'd look better in something more simple. You really won't tell me more?"

I shook my head. "Sorry. I can't chance it getting back to Bill. I want him to be really surprised."

It was a gooey romantic thing to say, and I knew it. I also knew it would effectively stop her line of questioning. There was nothing a serial dater loved more than the gooey romantic.

"Alright," she said indulgently. "I won't ask anymore."

I gave her a smile and then went to get their drinks. When I passed Eric's table he looked as if he were about to stop me, but then thought better of it. I chose to ignore that and whatever it meant as I continued on my way to the bar.

On my way home from Merlotte's I stopped at the gas station to fill my tank. I was about a quarter full and I knew if I didn't do it now I'd forget and end up stranded somewhere on the interstate. I pulled up to one of the empty spots and climbed out of my car. My car wasn't anything fancy and I chose the cheapest gas. As the car filled another car pulled up in front of me. The driver didn't have to get out for me to know who it was. There weren't many red corvettes in Bon Temps.

Eric climbed out of his car and I turned back toward the gas corral, hoping that he wouldn't notice me. We were the only two people there, though, and the odds of him not seeing me there eight feet from him were slim. Sure enough, through my peripheral vision I saw him crane his neck to check me out and then he said, "Sookie, you can stop pretending to find that sign telling you not to smoke in the gas station interesting. I promise not to bother you."

"Why would I ever think that?" I returned, forcing my gaze toward him. Even after all these years, the sight of him affected me. My mouth went dry and I could feel every part of my body from my eyebrows to my little toe tingle. He grinned wide, and I immediately wished he hadn't. The grin made him look younger, like the sixteen year old boy I had fallen in love with.

"So, you're back." I said, not posing it as a question.

"For a while," he said with a nod. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Why would that be a problem?"

He shrugged, turning toward his gas corral. He pressed on the more expensive gas and I watched him put the nozzle in his car and click it to start.

"I hear congratulations are in order," he said, looking up at me again. There was nothing leading in his question, but I felt myself bristle anyway.

"Is that why you're here?" I asked quickly. I regretted the question the moment it was out of my mouth. He laughed, shaking his head.

"Believe it or not, Sookie, my entire life does not revolve around what is happening in yours."

"I didn't-"

"So, the answer to your question is no. I did not come out here because you're getting married."

I looked away, feeling foolish for asking that admittedly presumptuous question. I guess I just couldn't understand why after all these years he decided to come back now.

"Why now?" I asked, unable to stop myself. "You had chances before. What about Pam's wedding? You didn't even come back for that."

A look of genuine confusion flashed on his face. "I had a project to work on. I thought my mom told you all that."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "That was actually true?"

He laughed in disbelief. "Well, yeah. One of our clients had a huge scandal. We all practically got no sleep for the next two weeks trying to clean up after him. It nearly ruined his business and ours." He shook his head. "You really thought I'd miss my own sister's wedding?"

"I don't know," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I felt about as petulant as a child then.

"Come on, Sookie. You know me. I would have never missed Pam's wedding if I didn't have to."

"No," I said, my voice so icy that it even surprised myself. "I don't know you. The Eric I knew wouldn't have just left after…after what happened. The Eric I knew…" I trailed off, unable to continue. There was so much between us, so much history that I couldn't even begin to go through it right then.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice genuine. "I regret what I did to you every day, Sookie. You have to believe me."

"Why? Why should I believe you?"

"Because…" he trailed off, running his hand through his hair. "Sookie, I was eighteen and stupid. Haven't you ever done something you've regretted?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "Yeah, I have."

Flashback - 6 years prior

I knew we were meant to be. Even as he said those terrible words at prom and left me with my chin trembling, fat tears rolling down my cheeks, I knew that couldn't be the end. He loved me and I loved him. And love always won in the end, right?

He'd come to drop off some of my things. I hadn't even remembered that I'd left them at his house. It was an odd CD, a shirt of mine that I'd throw over my bathing suit when we went down to the creek and swim. He brought them up to my room and then we started talking. Talking led to my crying and then he was holding me, whispering how sorry he was as he rubbed my back. We stayed that way for a while and then I tilted my face up toward his, sniffling slightly. His eyes were my favorite color, an almost robin's egg blue, and I couldn't tear my gaze from them. His arms were still around me, and I rested my hand on his chest to feel his heart beating as rapidly as my own.

I didn't know who leaned in first, but then we were kissing and it felt as if heaven and earth were meeting, and everything was wonderful and perfect because I was in his arms again and his lips were against mine. My back met the mattress and his hands were everywhere, mine too. He hesitated as his fingers brushed the hem of my panties.

"Sookie," he murmured, voice conflicted. I reached up and traced the contour of his cheek with my fingertips. He was so beautiful above me. My decision was made and I reached around his hand, tugging my underwear down.

He was sweet and gentle. When we were finished he held me close and asked me repeatedly if I was okay. I told him over and over again that I was perfect. Lying next to him with his arm wrapped around my waist, how could I be anything else? He told me after a while that he had to get back home, and I sat up and pulled my comforter up around me while he dressed. Before he left he came over to me once more and kissed me. His mouth was soft against mine, and it struck me that there was something almost sad about the way he kissed me. He pulled away and I could see his eyes were stormy.

"Eric?"

He left without another word and I pulled the comforter around me tighter as a chill ran through my body. I wouldn't hear from him for six years.

End Flashback

I was thinking about that afternoon, and I knew that he was, too. We both stood there in the gas station, minds held back in my bedroom six years back. I wanted to ask him why he did it. Why did he sleep with me and then leave? Was it just a game for him? Was I a clichéd notch in his belt? I'd always hoped I'd been more, but with time and age my opinion on the matter grew darker.

"I have no real excuse for what I did," he finally said. "I can tell you what I was feeling. What I was thinking. But I know that'll never be enough."

"But it would be something," I said. After six years of wondering what went wrong, I wanted to know. Even if the answer wasn't satisfying, it was still an answer.

"You scared me."

"I what?"

"You and what I was feeling. It scared the hell out of me. I wasn't ready for it, and I had convinced myself that I would ruin it and hurt you."

"You did that, anyway."

"I know," he said, voice rough. "And, believe me, I live with that every day."

I stared at him, trying to find his bluff. I tried to find the disingenuous bit that I was positive I'd see, but I couldn't find one. After a moment I was surprised to find that I believed him. It didn't make things right, but I did believe him.

"I'm really not here because you're getting married," he said. "I'm happy you found someone. I've heard Bill Compton is a good guy."

I nodded. "He is."

There was a pause and he joked, "I'm guessing I shouldn't expect an invitation to the wedding?"

I smiled a bit. "No. You shouldn't."

He nodded with feigned solemnity. "I understand." There was another pause and he asked, "Do you think we could ever move past this?"

I considered that for a moment. Could we move on from everything that happened?

"I don't know," I said honestly. "But we can try."

I heard a soft click and knew that my gas tank was full. I turned away from him and put the nozzle back where it belonged. I closed the small door where I put gas in my car and then looked back at him. He was watching me with a look that I couldn't discern.

"Good night, Eric," I said, walking around my car to the driver's side. As I slid in I heard him say, "Good night, Sookie."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. Next chapter will go further in revealing the real reason Eric is back.