A/N: Wow so many responses already! I'm glad you are all enjoying my story. Thank You to those who reviewed, I really appreciate the feedback. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will reply through private messaging.

Chapter One

Sookie

I cried into the emptiness of the night. The hollow heaving of my chest failing to find comfort as Bill's blood dripped down my face. I threw the makeshift stake away and let my eyes take in the red mess I was now drenched in. I felt as if I were being torn in two as I managed to pull myself up out of the coffin. Sobs continued to come from my empty shell of a body as I grabbed the lid and closed the casket.

I felt like a heavy stone as I collapsed on its cold, hard surface and let myself cry until the tears would no longer come. I wanted to lie there forever wallowing in my misery. As the reality that I had just killed William Thomas Compton fully absorbed into my brain.

After what felt like hours, I somehow found the willpower to stand and pull myself out of the grave. Kneeling on the edge of the gaping hole, I began to use my bare hands to cover the open site.

"Sookie..." a caring voice spoke from behind me.

I turned and saw the other man who had stolen a piece of my heart - Eric Northman, my ancient Viking love. He stood a few feet behind me, his eyes glazed over with such deep emotion I'd never seen in him before. It was so intense and foreign that I almost couldn't describe it in simple words. Hurt, anger, concern, love, they all filled his icy blue gaze to the brim and threatened to overspill.

"Eric? What are you doing here?"

"I felt your pain," his voice was so soft and fragile. I hadn't heard such a tone from him since the Witch incident all those months ago. So much had happened since then, it felt like it had been a lifetime since we had shared our most naked selves with each other, both the physical and the emotional.

He sped to my side and plucked me up off the ground. Wrapping his strong arms around me, I buried my face in his chest and the tears began to flow all over again. He held me for the longest time, one hand soothed my back in long gentle strokes while the other nestled the soft hair on the back of my head. The cries eventually began to wind down until they stopped altogether, and he continued to hold me until my breathing and heart rate returned to normal.

"I killed him..."

I expected him to come up with some egotistical, smug remark, but he didn't reply. He only held me tighter and let the reality of my words sink in. After a few more minutes he led me to an old wooden seat away from the grave site and sat me down.

"I'll be right back," he pressed his lips to my forehead in a gentle kiss before finishing what I'd started.

He filled in the grave until it was completely full, then he turned his attention back to me and scooped me up bridal style. I made no complaints as I buried my face in his chest and let myself relax for the first time in days. We left the cemetery and he walked me slowly back to my house, allowing me plenty of time to relax in his arms. When we reached the front door, he put me down and waited for me to make the next move.

Though Bill was my first love, he wasn't my one and only and the last thing I wanted was to be alone right now. "Please stay?"

He gave a gentle smile. "I will be right back. I wouldn't want to put blood all over your furniture." He gestured to his attire before promptly disappearing.

I went upstairs and cleansed myself of Bill's blood. I washed twice over, making sure every drop of red was gone before letting myself grieve one last time, the rushing water of the shower taking them away.

Twenty minutes later I sat at the kitchen table, a small bottle of whiskey in front of me with most of it gone. My body was comfortably numb, my fingers tingling with sensation as I dared to finish it. But it couldn't take away the pain I felt, no matter how much I wanted it to.

Gran, Tara, Alcide, Sam… they were all gone and now Bill too. The house felt so empty. Almost everyone I loved was dead and those that were left had families of their own now, leaving me to my lonesome self in a huge, empty house.

I thought about Eric, the time we grew close seemed like so long ago. He was always so tough and stern on the outside, but I knew better. He had allowed me to see the gentle, sweet soul hidden behind his rough exterior. And what did I do in return? I hurt him more deeply than I had ever realized. I had been so selfish, I hadn't stopped to fully consider the consequences of my actions, and now I was paying for it, we were both paying for it. So much had happened, and we'd both changed because of it.

I took another swig and forced the potent liquid down.

"Sookie," A light knock banged against the front door.

"Eric," I smiled. I did my best to stand up in my drunken state and wobbled over to the door, opening it and inviting him in.

"What have you done to yourself?" He chuckled.

I was about to reply but lost my footing. He was quick, wrapping an arm around the curve of my backside and pulling me in close before I fell over. The thick muscles of his chest collided with mine as he held me to him and scooped me up off the floor. He carried me up to my room and placed me down on the bed, sitting beside me, his face full of worry and concern. I rested my head against his lean bicep. We sat in comfortable silence for a good while before sleep began to overtake me and I couldn't help but yawn. It had been such a long day.

"You should rest now Sookie."

"Stay with me?" I gazed up into his eyes, hope dancing on the surface of them. I had hurt him more than my mortal mind could understand, and yet he was still here with me.

"Always."

I wanted to contemplate the meaning of that simple word further but found my brain was becoming a sloppy mess of exhaustion and drunkenness.

He pulled back the covers and allowed me to get in before he took off his shoes and climbed in next to me. Facing him, he pulled me in close and wrapped his arms securely around me in a reassuring embrace. He kissed my cheek and I relished in his comforting, familiar scent as I let myself fall asleep and enter the sweet realm of dreams.

I walked along a wide stretch of white sand. Waves of crystal blue waters almost touched my feet as I went. Above me, a hot sun dazzled my skin. I looked out at what was before me, mesmerized by the sheer beauty unmatched by the colors my eyes couldn't distinguish on Earth.

I stopped in awe, so I could observe what I was seeing and found that if I focused I could zoom in on long distances and see things as if it were right in front of me. The lake I stood next to was exceedingly deep and clear, I could see the sand bed and all the plants and animals that thrived in it.

I wanted desperately to dive into it, to become a part of it and join the creatures swimming in its massive body. But I kept walking, my eyes giving attention to the sky which was the brightest shade of blue I'd ever seen. The whitest, fluffiest clouds lazily drifted across its wide-open scope. And when I paid further attention I could see the stars dazzlingly far above in a swirl of galactic beauty.

"Sookie." My name rolled in the air.

I turned and to my shock and amazement, I saw it was none other than Godric walking up to me. His skin wasn't burning blue in the sunlight but was instead soaking up its rays. Giving him, a gorgeous glow more radiant than my own. The ancient tribal tattoos that inked his skin were very prominent and he was dressed in all white. He looked happier than I'd ever seen him.

"Godric..." I couldn't help myself as I ran and wrapped my arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze. With our physical touch, I felt love literally oozing from him and become a part of me.

"I watched you burn," I pulled away from him, my eyes threatening to tear up as I remembered his last moments on the rooftop.

"Yes, you helped set me free." Seeing my quivering eyes, he took my hands in his and brought them to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"But Godric, how is death ever the answer?" Bill's face and his blackened veins crossed my mind.

"I know you are hurting little one," he traced my face with his fingers, a string of sentiment and love was heavy in his voice. "I will help you, as you have helped me. But first, there is something we must discuss."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"I worry about the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Hepatitis V will eventually spread to every corner of the Earth, I fear that it is not just vampires that will become extinct by the end of the century."

"But the cure-"

"It may be successful at first, but in the end, it will fail. There is too much hurt, too much anger between our species. We will never forgive each other, there will only be further bloodshed until one or both sides are dead."

My eyes lowered to the ground, knowing in my heart he was right. Mainstreaming was a joke at best. Humans hadn't evolved any more than Vampires had. Each side was intent on killing the other and the resentment and hatred had grown past the point of peaceful co-existence. The war still going on in my hometown was strong evidence of it.

"You tried to save me once. Now I must ask you to do it again."

"What are you talking about?"

"You must go back little one, long before any of this happened."

"I don't understand…"

"You will, and I will be with you." He took my chin with his soft fingers and raised my eyes to meet his "you are our only hope, my Faery Queen." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, devouring me in a deep kiss. Through it, my chest filled with so much love it began to pour down my checks.

I woke with a wide smile on my face and a heavy heart. But it was not filled with sorrow or remorse. Bill had faded so far from my mind that I'd almost forgotten him entirely, replaced by the real love Godric had filled me with. It was so intense and unreal that for a while I couldn't even move from the sheer weight of it. Back in my own body, my brain could barely comprehend it. I felt completely filled by his embrace and his joy.

I wanted to relish the moment for eternity, but my sleeping mind woke up all too soon and like any other dream, I realized to my disappointment it was just that - a dream.

As I lay there soaking it all in, I questioned if there was any truth to the vision I'd just witnessed. Faeries had an astute natural talent when it came to powers of the mind and dreams, and I wondered just how far that talent could go.

I rolled onto my back and felt around with my hand. The bed was empty, Eric was gone. I huffed, a little disappointed at the lack of his presence, but then I noticed the small note sitting on the nightstand.

I'm downstairs, should you need me.

- Eric

I smiled, realizing that he must have stayed with me until the last possible moment and only left for fear of his life. I mentally kicked myself, why didn't we fall asleep on the bed in the cubby hole? Then I could have woken to his beautiful face.

"Oh," I remembered Bill and how I had staked him last night. I had been so preoccupied with it I could barely think about anything else.

But as strange as it was, my feelings for him were completely gone. I have no other way of describing it other than it was like a vacuum had sucked them clean out of me. When I thought about him and imagined him in my head, I felt no more towards him than I would a stranger. The history and memories were still there of course, but the feelings of sentiment and affection were gone.

"What am I thinking?" I shook my head. Get a grip Sookie, Bill only died last night and you're already moving onto Eric?

It was weird the more I thought about it, but my feelings for him really were suddenly just gone. And I didn't even feel guilty about it. Was our relationship only held together by blood?

That was a scary thought.

What about my feelings for Eric? I hated him before I took his blood. "No," I tossed the thought away.

I had seen the gentle and sweet side of him when he was at his most vulnerable. My feelings for him were genuine. He may have hurt and tricked me on the odd occasion, but he made right by his ways. After the Witch incident, everything changed, and he's treated me like royalty ever since. Even when I've been downright rude and demanding to him. I cringed at myself. I was so selfish and obsessed with Bill, it's amazing he has stuck around as long as he has. I silently promised I'd make it up to him somehow.

After getting dressed and making myself some brunch, I sunbathed for longer than I probably should have and took a long walk through the woods surrounding my house, relishing in the beauty of nature, finally able to see it after the longest time spent in stressful, dark clouds.

When I looked in the mirror, I didn't see the same woman I knew from before I had awakened to the supernatural world. I was thinner, my face was more mature and serious, and the under of my eyes were slightly darker from my sleeping habits that were now all over the place. Living in their world had taken a toll on me, and after everything I had been through, I wondered how my blond hair hadn't turned to grey. But it was over now, I was finally free of him and it was only then that I realized the magnitude of Bills parting gift.

I realized I hadn't been able to let him go while he was alive, I loved him too much. But there was so much darkness in him, it was all he had left to give me in return. People called me a danger whore, an angel of death, but the truth was it only seemed that way because I was willing to do anything to keep those I loved safe. Even at the cost of my own life.

Bill had been right all along; he understood the pain I was in and he knew the effect it was having on me. He wanted to die, knowing that my feelings would die with him. Allowing me to move on with my life, setting me free while he would remain buried in that grave.

I gazed at my lips, they were chapped slightly from the cold air last night. I ran my fingers over them as I applied a little moisturizer. As I put it back in my drawer, my eyes caught a glimpse of something I hadn't looked at in a long time. I took out the little wooden box I was keeping it safe in and opened it to reveal the beautiful necklace Godric had given me all those months ago.

I smiled and held it up to the evening light, admiring its beauty. I wondered if it was safe to wear, but I thought it too precious to take the risk. I would be devastated if it were ever lost. I hadn't shown it to anyone, not even my closest and most trusted friends.

As the room began to get darker, I realized the sun was starting to set and Eric would be up soon.

Enclosing the necklace in my hand, I left my bedroom and went downstairs, excitement lifting my chest as I rushed to greet him. Eric was just leaving the cubby hole. He was shirtless and still waking up. His hair was ruffled, and a pair of old jeans hung from his hips, showing off his tight muscles.

"Eric," I beamed and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his broad and slender body. "Thank you for staying with me last night."

"Of course," he embraced me back, running a hand through my hair and playing with my fine blond strands. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than well, you'll never guess what happened."

"Oh?"

I pulled away from him, fiddling with the necklace that was still in my hand. "I saw Godric,"

"What?" he said confused, an astonished but perplexed look in his eyes.

"Last night I saw him in a dream, except it felt like more than a dream. It was more real than this is."

"What happened?"

"Not much actually, we mostly just talked. It's more what I felt. He was really happy." I grinned.

Something danced across his eyes and I could tell he was seriously thinking about this. His brain was ticking away, unsure what to make of what I'd just described to him. He wanted to believe me, but logic was telling him otherwise.

"Though I believe faeries are powerful beings, Godric has been dead for going on two years now. It could not have been him."

"Perhaps you're right…" doubt began to seep in me. I wanted to believe it had been real so badly, I was sure it was, but perhaps I was letting my feelings run away with my common sense. I walked into my lounge and sat down on the sofa. Holding the necklace in the palm of my hand, I studied it once more. Without the light, it had turned dark and appeared almost black.

"What is that?" Eric walked over and sat down beside me, tracing the stone with his fingers.

"Godric… before he died, he gave me this as a gift. He asked me to keep it safe for him."

"I didn't realize the two of you were so close."

"I never told you this but," I looked at him sternly, placing a hand on his chest "the night before Godric died, I went to him. We shared blood and… other things,"

"Oh?" he quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

I could feel my cheeks turning red at the thought of it. The memory of our night together resurfacing. "We slept together."

The biggest grin found its way onto his lips and he chuckled. The thought of me sleeping with his maker seemed to make his day. "Sookie, Sookie, Sookie. I knew I smelt him on you. And everyone thinks you're so sweet and innocent."

"It's funny you say that because Godric said the exact same thing."

Eric's smirk grew bigger "And knowing him, even in the state of mind he was in, he must have ravished you to the point of exhaustion. Tell me, how was it?"

"That's not really any of your business Mr. Northman," I said cheekily.

"And you never told Bill?"

"I never told anyone, until now."

He seemed quite amused and was probably visualizing us together that night.

"In any case, it doesn't matter anymore. Bill's gone, and so are my feelings for him."

"What?" He looked at me, clearly puzzled.

"It's strange, but ever since I woke up I feel… different. My love for him is just gone. I guess since our relationship started out as a lie and we exchanged blood so many times, they weren't real, to begin with. Now that he's dead, so are my feelings for him."

"You are truly something else."

"I guess I am," I smirked confidently. "The only question now is, where do I go from here?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"I have no idea. For the first time in well, as long as I can remember, no one wants anything of me. In a strange way, I feel… free."

Eric gave a small, but bittersweet smile "I'm glad you're finally happy."

"Where are you going?" I asked as he stood up and appeared to be leaving. "Why don't you stay?" I got up and followed him to the front door.

"Sookie I…" he paused in hesitation, "with everything that happened to Bill, why he did it… I've come to realize that although I care for and even love you, very much so… I may not be the best thing for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"The majority of the pain you've suffered, the things you've had to endure, has been because of vampires. And to my everlasting shame, I was a part of it. I think Bill was right when he said all we can give you is death, that is what we are."

"But Eric… I love you."

"I know," he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close "but that's why I have to let you go, as much as I don't want to."

I gazed up into his icy blue eyes, and for a fleeting, perfect moment I saw all the love and kindness he held for me, locked deep within him. Echoes of the time we had spent together, the closeness we had once shared. He traced the side of my face with his fingers, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you Sookie." He then let me go and turned to leave. He opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

"You said you'd stay with me, always..." my voice began to crack, the joy I'd felt earlier began to slip away.

He looked over his shoulder. I searched his face for any clue as to what he was thinking, but all I saw was uncertainty and even pain.

"I'm sorry Sookie." He was seconds away from leaving when suddenly a strange light began to fill the room.

"Eric…?"

I held the stone out in the palm of my hand as it began to light up in a thousand colors. It burst in streaks of radiant light that engulfed us both. Eric rushed forward and grabbed a hold of me, just as the light began to condense and swallowed us.