Well, first of all.. WOW!

Thank you SO MUCH for the feedback and kind words! It made a lousy day (due to a lousy job) turn right around. THANK YOU!

I have another chapter ready, obviously, if I'm posting. I actually kept writing last night after I posted the first chapter, and some how, even though I was watching the Oscars, I ended up getting another five pages or so done.

So here they are...

I was going to clear some things up, but I decided that I'm just gonna let it play out. It'll make sense, trust me. It is an Alt Universe anyway. ;)

As always, Charlaine Harris owns the characters and whatnot, cause she ROCKS!

Snoogans!

I laid there with my mystery guest for the rest of the night. I rose from her side thirty minutes before dawn. Once she had fallen asleep, she had slept soundly. I was, what I had finally figured, content just to lay there with her. It was easily in the top five strangest things that had ever happened to me. And that was saying a lot, given that I was a little over a thousand years old.

I rose from her side and went to my office. I called my day man, and left instructions on items to bring for my mystery woman. Once that was settled, I wrote a note for her, and left it on her bedside table.

Woman,

I hope you had a good nights rest. I have left instructions with my day man, Bobby, to bring items for you. Please, make yourself at home today. I will rise at sunset.

Please understand that you are not a prisoner in this home, however it is locked up for my safety. If you wish to leave, you may do so when Bobby arrives today. He will take you anywhere you wish to go.

I hope however that you chose to stay.

E

When I left the note for her, I stood over her for a moment. I had to know who she was. I hoped that she didn't leave during the day. I wanted to know her. I found that I was drawn to her. The mystery of her. I had only known her a few hours, and already, there was something there. She had hardly even spoken, yet she had managed to capture me completely.

She stirred in bed. I could hear her heart beat increase slightly, her breathing became heavier. Her eyes moved rapidly behind her eyelids. She was dreaming. She shifted in bed. Her face was contorted. She thrashed her arms suddenly. She was having a nightmare.

"Stop… stop… STOP!" she screamed, and I leaned down to take hold of her.

"Shhh… woman. Shhh… wake up." I told her as I hugged her to me. She woke up thrashing against me for a moment, and then began to cry. I rocked her gently, smoothing her hair with my hand. She calmed after a few minutes, and just clung to me.

I could feel sleep starting to pull me. But I pushed it to the back of my mind as much as I could. I had to fight it for just a moment longer.

"Oh Eric, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." she said as she calmed herself down. She stopped crying, and was wiping her eyes.

"Do not apologize. You were having a nightmare. Do you remember it?" I asked.

She seemed to think on it for a moment, and then shook her head that she didn't. Then, she became aware of our embrace, and she backed away. I reluctantly released her, but I stayed seated at her side. She laid back in bed.

"I left a note for you. I'm afraid that I must retire for the day, but I will see you when I rise this evening I hope."

She shook her head, and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. Once I had done it, we both seemed to pause for a moment to figure out why I had done it. Her guess was a good as mine.

I went to sleep for the day still thinking of the taste of her skin on my lips.

I rose at sunset. My first thought was of her. I wondered if she had stayed.

I dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, and left my locked room to look for my house guest. I found her in the kitchen.

"Hello." she said, and smiled.

"Hello." I replied. I fought a smile. "I see you stayed. Did Bobby bring everything you would need?"

"Yes, and then some." she said, and then took a bite of what appeared to be scrambled eggs.

"Hungry?" I asked. She still had some food in her mouth, and nodded at me, smiling again. I made my way around to the refrigerator and pulled out a True Blood. I heated it up while she ate, and then once it was ready, I joined her at the counter.

"Thank you, by the way. For all this. As soon as I remember who I am, or get back home, or get a job, I will pay you back for this."

"There's no need." I said, waiving a hand at her.

"Well, I'm going to anyways." she said, and finished the rest of her meal. I sat there and watched her eat as I sipped from my True Blood.

"Did you remember your nightmare at all?" I asked, and her eyes shot up to mine. I hadn't realized how blue they were the night before.

"No."

"None of it?" I asked, and she shook her head that she didn't. I could tell she was a bit uncomfortable about it. I decide to change the subject. "I have to go back to the bar this evening. Not for long, but I do have some business that needs to be addressed. Would you like to join me?"

"I don't think so. Is it alright if I stay here? If you don't feel comfortable with me here alone, I understand. I'll go with you."

"Nonsense. You were here by yourself today. You didn't burn my home down." I said, and winked at her, bringing forth yet another smile from her. "You don't have to go. I understand. I wont be long, and I don't have to leave for a few hours."

We were silent after that for a while. We just stared at each other it seemed. It wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. It was strange when I thought about it.

I reluctantly ended our little stare off, and asked her to join me in my office. We sat at my computer, and I pulled up several news pages. I searched the local news pages for Shreveport and Bon Temps, since I had found her running between the two places. There was nothing. No reports of a missing woman anywhere.

I broadened my search, but came up empty. There were reports of missing women, but none matching her description. I looked to her after we searched the last page I had pulled up. She seemed broken in a way. No one appeared to be looking for her. At least, not yet, which was what I told her when the tears started to well up. She looked at me, and must have seen the look in my eyes at the thought of her crying again, and she pulled the tears back.

"Wouldn't someone have noticed if I was missing?" she asked.

"Perhaps you lived alone. If you weren't expected anywhere, it may be a few days before someone notices."

"It's a pretty pitiful life if a few days passed before someone noticed me missing." she said, but didn't seem to be disturbed by it at all. She had said it just as a simple statement.

I turned to her and smiled. "Perhaps you are just independent. There is nothing wrong in that. There is nothing wrong with being able to take care of yourself, to be alone. There have been times in my existince where I have been alone. Where no one would notice me missing. It doesn't make me any less of a person. Well, you know what I mean." I said, and we both smiled. "We have to think of something to call you." I said. She quirked her eyebrow at my sudden change in subject. "What name would you like?" I asked.

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. You got any ideas?"

I did. "Aude." I said, and her eyebrows raised. "It was the name of a strong, brave woman I once knew."

She laughed a little. Her laugh was angelic. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at the name choice. It's a nice name. But strong and brave doesn't seem to fit."

"Why not?" I asked. I had thought she was very strong and very brave, and I had only known her for twenty hours.

"I've cried more times than I can count, I practically melted down when you took me to your bar last night, and then again to the police station. Not to mention my nightmare. And I couldn't even fall asleep on my own. That's not what I would describe as a strong, brave person."

"You may have 'practically melted down', as you say, but you didn't. You trusted a strange vampire when you had no reason to. And you may have cried, but, regardless of how uncomfortable it may make me, as human woman standards go, you had every reason to given your situation. So for that, you are strong and brave."

She blushed, Gods help me, she blushed. It was amazing. She lowered her eyes before she answered. "Aude it is then."

I reached out a hand to her, and placed it under her chin, raising her face to look at mine. "You are brave." I told her.

"Thanks."

The moment was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I checked the caller, it was Pam. I answered. "Speak."

"You should come down to the bar. There are witches here. They are requesting and audience with you."

"Witches? Interesting. I will be there shortly." I said, and hung up the phone. I looked to Aude. "I have to go. I am needed at the bar. I will make this as quick as possible. Is there anything that you need before I go?" I asked.

"No. I think I'm good. May I borrow a book?" she asked as she motioned to small library I had in my office.

"Of course." I said, and rose from my desk to go change for the bar. I had official business this evening aside from this impromptu meeting with the witches Pam had called about.

Before I left, I stopped back in my office, and found Aude standing in front of my book cases. I came up behind her, and she looked up at me and smiled.

"Decisions decisions." I said.

"No kidding. Have you read all these?"

"And then some." I said, quoting her from earlier in the evening. She laughed a little, which was exactly what I had been going for. I told her again that I wouldn't be long, and I left for Fangtasia.

"So, what happened when you dropped her off at the police station?" Pam asked as I walked in the employee entrance.

"She came home with me." I said as I turned and went into my office. Pam followed and shut the door behind her.

"You took her to your home?" she asked. I had expected some sort of smart ass remark from her, but apparently, I had managed to render her nearly speechless. She just stared at me.

"Yes. Now, tell me about the witches." I said, and Pam opened her mouth for a moment, to protest the change in subject, but I gave her a stern look, and she didn't push it further.

"They are looking for a missing woman." she said, and smiled slyly. She reached into her leather top, between her breasts, and pulled out a piece of folded paper and handed it to me. I unfolded the paper as Pam started to speak again. "Her name is Sookie Stackhouse. She's from Bon Temps. The witches are claiming she's part of their coven. A sister who's gone missing."

"And you don't believe them."

"Not for a second."

"Did you tell them that you saw her last night?" I asked, looking from the page that had a large picture of my house guest with the message, 'Have you seen this woman?'.

"Of course not."

"Good. Don't mention it at all. As far as anyone is concerned, we never saw her. Did anyone besides you see her last night when I brought her here?" I asked, and Pam shook her head that no one had. "Excellent."

"Shall I bring them in now?"

"Please." I said, and Pam disappeared from my office, and returned a few moments later with a woman. She had dark hair, green eyes, and looked menacing. She was wearing a black form fitting dress, and a black cloak. She looked absolutely stereotypical. It was almost amusing.

"Sheriff Northman, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hallow. I believe your associate gave you the flyer regarding our dear coven sister Sookie?" she said as she came to stand in front of my desk. I motioned for her to sit, and she did. Pam stayed standing by the door.

"She did. How can I help you?"

"We were wondering if you've heard anything regarding our dearest Sookie."

"Why would I have heard anything?" I asked. She frowned for a moment, but then went back to looking worried. She didn't do the 'worried' look very well. I could see right through her.

"We had a report she was last seen running towards Shreveport. Down the main highway. We know that you met with a shifter over in Bon Temps, and left about the time that she was seen running down that road."

They had done their homework. I was curious as to why they truly were so interested in finding my houseguest.

"I think I would remember a woman running down the road at one in the morning." I said, and tossed the 'Missing' flyer to the side. "But as it stands, I saw no one on my return from Bon Temps. If I hear anything, I will contact you." I said, and leaned back in my chair, putting my feet up on my desk.

"I thank you for your time Sheriff." Hallow said as she rose from her seat. Pam opened the door for her, and closed it as soon as she left.

Pam came to sit in the chair that Hallow had been occupying only a few moments ago. We listened to be sure she had gone back down the hallway, and out to the bar before we spoke.

"I was going to charge you with finding out who our mystery guest was, but now that we know, I want you to find out everything you can about her."

"What do you think they want with her?"

"I don't know, but I know it can't be good. Sookie Stackhouse is quite a mystery. When you helped her to clean up last night, did you get a look at her when she showered or when she was changing?"

"I wish. Why?" Pam asked.

"Well, first off, she smelled of Fae." I said, and Pam practically licked her lips. "Fae magic to be specific. It was faint, but it was there. It seemed to be attached to the scars that were on her neck and lower legs. I have a feeling they cover quite a bit more of her body, but I haven't seen for certain."

Pam laughed. "Didn't bed her?" she asked.

"No. She was in no condition for that."

"But you want to." she said, suddenly serious.

I stared at her for a moment, and then changed the subject. "Has William arrived?" I asked.

"Yes. He got here after I called you. Would you like me to send him in?" she asked, a bit of attitude in her voice. I gave her a stern look, and she adjusted her attitude before leaving my office again. I glanced over at the picture of Sookie. It was a fitting name. It was as unique as she was.

"Sheriff." I heard, and looked up to see William Compton entering my office. I hadn't seen him in a few decades. I was instantly as bored with him now as I was the last time I had seen him.

"Bill. What brings you to area five?" I asked, taking my feet off my desk and leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I glanced over at the picture of Sookie quickly, and then over to Bill, who I noticed was also staring at her picture. Except there was something off about the way that he was looking at her. He looked as if he knew her. Intriguing. I would have to see how that played out. After a moment, he looked back to me.

"My last living descendent has died. I have come back to claim my family home." he said, and took a seat.

"I hear you're mainstreaming." I said.

"I am."

"How boring." I said, and looked up at Bill. "How long will you be staying?" I asked.

"For a while."

"Excellent. Is there anything else?"

"No. Just checking in." he said, and rose from his seat. He glanced back down at the picture of Sookie before walking out of the office. I gathered a few items, including the 'Missing' flyer, and headed out of my office. I was nearly to the employee entrance when I heard Pam come up behind me.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked.

"Pam, be a dear and close up tonight." I said, and headed to my car.