A/N: These wonderful characters belong to the talented Charlaine Harris. I am merely taking them out to play. Also, I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own.

Chapter Two: The Aftermath

EPOV:

Any feeling I had on her emotions seemed to just evaporate and disappear the moment she lost consciousness. I roared in frustration, the sounds reverberating off the concrete walls around us and setting off a couple car alarms. I grabbed the sides of trunk and ripped the metal from the car, tossing it over my shoulder.

I took a moment to completely take in the scene in front of me, now that the jagged metal of the roof was no longer impeding my view. I took in Bill's naked form with his rosy pink complexion and was truly overcome with the rage inside of me.

I grabbed him by his neck, crushing his trachea in the process, and drug him out of the trunk. I had murder in my mind as I thought of the most expedient yet still painful ways to achieve my goal. Then Bill managed to heal his throat enough to mutter the only word that could change my focus and stay his execution in that moment…

"Sookie…" he gasped, reminding me that she was the immediate concern in the moment. I satisfied myself slightly by throwing his pitiful form into the nearest wall and returned my gaze to the trunk.

She looked horrible. It was no mere bite on her neck. It looked like a wild beast had tried to chew her head off. The wound was ragged and brutal so not even the coagulant in Bill's saliva been able to stop the blood that continued to ooze from her jugular. I quickly bit into my wrist and let a few drops fall over the wound to stop the bleeding. When that was done, I bent in and scooped up her limp form. As I lifted her, the blanket fell back inside, revealing her torn clothing.

I growled again, from low in my chest.

"What have you done?" I demanded of Bill, who had stood back up and was healing himself again. He had to have had a great deal of Sookie's blood to heal so quickly after his recent torturing.

"I don't know, Eric. I had just recovered myself enough to realize what was happening when you arrived." He had the gall to look ashamed. If not for Sookie's lifeless body in my arms I would have killed him for that look alone.

"Oh my God. What's going on? Is she alive?" Alcide rambled uselessly as he came upon the scene.

"Your apartment. We need blood, lots of it; bagged would be best, but synthetic will work." I ordered, walking toward the elevator door. If we were on my own territory I could easily access bags of human blood. I could even give her a transfusion. Here, however, I had no resources. It would have to be synthetic and she would have to drink it. I didn't even let myself consider that she would not be able. That was a possibility I was not ready to face.

"I'll give her my blood, Eric. That will be the only thing to save her now, and I definitely owe her the healing." Bill began to mutter.

"She is almost drained, you imbecile. You cannot give her blood without turning her. And trust me; you will be a pile of ashes the second you try." I promised him.

"The doors unlocked. You're both invited in. There is a 4 pack of TruBlood in the fridge. I have no way to get bagged blood but I'll run to the pharmacy around the corner to get more of the TruBlood." Alcide replied as he quickly jumped in his nearby truck and took off. I appreciated his action. It was much more effective than the useless apologies and excuses Bill had been mumbling.

"Get the door!" I barked at him.

I spent the elevator ride glaring at him; daring him to have the audacity to meet my gaze or mention his blood again. I wanted the excuse to end him. We made it into Alcide's apartment and I rushed Sookie back to the bed that I knew she'd been sleeping in. I kept her in my arms and tried to sit her up as much as I could. Her head fell backwards and I began to panic. Bill joined me with the blood in his hands and appeared to have thrown on a pair of Alcide's pants. Smart of him; he must have sensed how badly I wanted to remove a certain appendage of his.

"Pry her eyelids open. I am going to have to glamour her." I ordered again.

"But…" he started to argue with me.

"Do it!" I demanded. I knew damn good and well that Sookie Stackhouse could not be glamoured. I also knew that I had succeeded in doing so anyway, the very night before. I suspected that particular success had only been a result of Sookie finally relinquishing control in her moment of need, but I fiercely hoped her current condition would make it possible again.

Bill managed to get both of her eyelids open, and though she was unconscious and her eyes were slightly rolled back in her head, I knew if she didn't fight my glamour that it might work.

"Drink, Sookie." I commanded, holding the bottle to her lips. At first there was no response. I focused all my energy and called out to all of my blood left in her system and tried again. "Sookie, you must drink."

The only outward appearance she gave that she had registered my command was opening her lips, but inwardly I could feel her submit to me. It was a truly amazing feeling and I was so awash with relief I almost smiled at Bill; almost. I tilted the bottled up to her mouth and she slowly began to drink. She choked a couple of times and I barked at Bill to find a straw. He actually made himself useful and had located one by the time she had managed most of the first bottle.

The second one went down much faster with the assistance of the straw, and though the synthetic blood didn't have the healing properties that vampire blood would have, her long draws on the straw seemed to become more effective. While she continued, I assessed the healing wound in her neck. The couple of drops of my blood had effectively closed it off and it appeared to have healed a little. It still resembled a rabid dog bite.

"Were you trying to tear her head off?" I growled at Bill, who was now hovering annoyingly.

"Eric, I'd been starved. Are you going to tell me you would have reacted differently? What was she doing in a car trunk with a starving vampire anyway?" He replied. It seemed he had adopted his normal quiet, calm persona now that Sookie appeared to be out of immediate danger. His question distracted me from tearing a limb off for suggesting I would have done the same if the situations had been reversed. I was also almost 1000 years older than Bill and could go without blood for much longer. He posed an interesting query though. Why had she been in that trunk with him?

"I have no idea. Last I saw her she planned to rescue you," his face fell again at hearing the reminder of what she had done for him. "And leave you in the trunk in Alcide's garage. Never did the plan include her being in that trunk with you." I answered, more talking to myself than answering his question.

"She wouldn't have climbed in with me…" Bill started and didn't even finish his suggestion when I leveled him with my icy gaze again. Of course that idea had occurred to me, but I didn't want to hear him suggest that Sookie would have been so foolish simply because she had missed him. That line of reasoning only angered me further.

Thankfully Bill was saved by Alcide distracting us with more blood. He also brought a pitcher and apple juice stating that he had seen a healing similar to this and knew that Sookie would not be able to stomach the blood straight when she became more conscious. I was thankful for his initiative. The thought wouldn't have occurred to me.

"How did you get her to drink?" He questioned. "She looked half dead."

"Oh it was closer than that." I answered and glared at Bill again, thinking of just how close to death she had been. Bill however, ignored the glare and seemed to regard me with curiosity.

"He glamoured her." Bill answered, tilting his head slightly as his looked at me.

"How…" Alcide started.

"Enough!" I silenced them both. "I will end you both if that is ever repeated outside these walls. Sookie Stackhouse cannot be glamoured!" I announced, daring either of them to argue further. They were both smart enough to simply nod.

I was still suspicious of Bill, however. I wouldn't put it past him to try for himself the first chance he got. I almost wished he would. I knew for a fact that she could only be glamoured if she wanted to be and that it would only anger her if tried to do so. The thought of such a confrontation actually made me chuckle, earning a knowing glare from Bill.

Just then I felt a shift inside Sookie and her emotions started to filter back into my awareness. The relief I felt was almost too strong for me and it was hard to conceal behind my vampire mask.

"She is coming around. Maybe that was enough blood." I stated and both Alcide and Bill moved closer to gaze down on her, still reclined in my arms. I wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

She slowly opened her eyes and though she didn't seem to be focusing on anything, I felt her regain consciousness. She seemed to focus on the three of our faces and finally her eyes settled on mine.

"Safe…" she managed to choke out. Her voice sounded completely raw. I wasn't sure if the word was meant as a question or a statement, but I moved my hand to her face to reassure her.

"Safe." I answered. This time she did smile and seemed to relax into my arms. I was so overcome with emotions in that moment that I feared I might actually shed a tear. I quickly pulled myself together and excused myself with the fact that I was feeling her emotions so strongly. That had to be it.

Bill moved forward and reached his hand out to touch Sookie's face and she instantly recoiled away from him and hid her face in my neck. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her and bit back a growl. I curled my lip and flashed my fangs at him. I knew she wasn't mine, but the second I felt her fear resurface, my protective instincts took over.

"Sookie…" Bill whispered with a pained look on his face. He pulled his hand back but stayed close. He seemed to be ignoring me. It was not a wise decision. The only thing keeping me from tearing him apart was Sookie clinging to my chest.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry for everything. Lorena was my maker. I know you don't fully understand what that means, but…" Bill was rambling in a truly patronizing manor. One of his words did catch my attention though.

"Was?" I asked.

"I killed her." Sookie spoke into my throat and then she started to sob. Her whole body was shaking and I had never felt as helpless as I did in that moment. I had no idea what to do or what to say to her. We were interrupted by the phone ringing. Alcide quickly jumped up to get it. He seemed just as bothered by her tears and thankful for any excuse to leave the room.

I rocked her in my arms and tried to soothe her, but she seemed to be having some kind of release. I satisfied myself by glaring at Bill again. He too looked as helpless as I felt. His expression, however, was also marred with guilt and shame.

"You have to get out of here. There is a vacant apartment next door, but someone's coming and you can't be here." Alcide announced, successfully ending Sookie's sobs. Instead I felt anger and hatred swell up inside of her.

"Hey, Alcide, just guess who it was that pushed me into that trunk and slammed it shut." She spat at him with an accusatory tone. He noticeably blanched and left the room. I sure wanted to know the answer to that question.

"Let's get out of here. Just take me home. Please." Sookie pleaded, looking into my eyes. In that moment I wouldn't have been able to deny her anything. I just nodded and she buried her face back in my neck. I stood and began to make my way out of the apartment.

"Clean up your mess here before you leave." I ordered Bill and he merely nodded. There was no way I was dealing with the aftermath that would have been created with Lorena dead and Bill escaped. I was done with Bill fucking Compton and his stupid computer.

"Bring her things back to Shreveport when you return." I barked at Alcide as I passed him. He too chose to simply nod. It felt good to be back in my sheriff role.

SPOV:

"She is coming around. Maybe that was enough blood." I heard Eric's voice.

My head felt foggy and my vision was blurry as I started to take in my surroundings. I slowly focused on three faces looming over me. Eric's was the closest and I finally just settled on his eyes. I remembered seeing those eyes through the hole in that trunk that had been the scene of my latest nightmare. I remembered how the sight of those piercing blue eyes had been such a relief; how I'd known it was over. How I'd known that after everything I'd been through that day, I was finally safe.

"Safe…" Was all I could choke out to him. My throat was on fire. I tried to swallow and in felt like sandpaper, and there was the most vile metallic taste in my mouth as well. It definitely wasn't the sweet tangy taste of Eric's blood.

"Safe." He answered. The one word answered all of my questions and I felt myself relax. I was surprised to feel his hand on my face. My job for him was done. I'd explained away his affections earlier by thinking he was just keeping me pliable to do his bidding. I wasn't so sure anymore. His arms felt amazing around me. I felt so secure in them.

I looked around and noticed Alcide hovering nearby with pitcher and a bottle of TruBlood in his hand. So that explained the vile taste in mouth. Why TruBlood? I wondered to myself. Why not Eric's blood?

I turned my gaze to Bill and he took that opportunity to move closer to me. He reached out to touch my face and I felt myself recoil from him before I could help it. I turned and hid my face in Eric's neck and focused on his scent to comfort myself. I couldn't face Bill yet. I knew he hadn't been himself when he attacked me, but that knowledge didn't change the fear I felt rise up when he reached for me. I felt Eric's arms tighten around me and was again, surprised by his affections.

"Sookie…" Bill pleaded. He sounded so distraught that I wanted to console him and reassure him that I understood, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe I didn't understand. After everything he'd put me through recently, maybe it was too late. I didn't know.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry for everything. Lorena was my maker. I know you don't fully understand what that means, but…" Bill rambled. I wanted to yell at him for his assumptions that I was so naïve. I knew exactly what her being his maker meant. It didn't have anything to do with the manner in which he treated me that night in his home. He could have been honest and upfront with me. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that he called and told Pam that he wanted to make "financial arrangements" for me. It didn't have anything to do with the trunk…

"Was?" Eric asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I killed her." I answered him, never moving my face from where it was buried in his neck. And then, like a dam breaking, the tears I'd been holding in since the night Eric sat in my kitchen, spilled over and I was overcome with sobs. I couldn't get control of myself and it all just came pouring out of me. Eric began to rock me in his arms, and the action was so human that it began to slowly calm me.

"You have to get out of here. There is a vacant apartment next door, but someone's coming and you can't be here." Alcide announced. I had vaguely heard the phone ring before. He must have been excited because his thoughts were practically screaming at me with images of Debbie and the afternoon they'd spent together.

Suddenly, I had control over myself again and I felt anger rising up to be my only emotion. How could he be so blind? I couldn't believe I'd ever even entertained ideas about the two of us when he was clearly so far gone on that psycho Debbie Pelt.

"Hey, Alcide, just guess who it was that pushed me into that trunk and slammed it shut." I spat at him. I couldn't help myself. He was so disillusioned when it came to her. He noticeably blanched and stormed off.

I couldn't face her. I couldn't face Bill any longer either. If I had been in any condition to, I would have run as fast as I could. Instead I turned to look into Eric's eyes, and again, I was overcome with how safe they made me feel.

"Let's get out of here. Just take me home. Please." I begged him. He seemed surprised, but he nodded and then the Eric I was used to resurfaced. He stood with me in his arms and started barking orders at Bill and Alcide as he swept me out of the apartment. Ah, Sheriff Northman was back. In his arms, however, that thought seemed to make me feel even safer.