Disclaimer: Characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

a/n: I apologize for the quality of the second chapter. I was so excited to post it that I really didn't proof it that well. I promise to do better in the future. I just really, really wanted Eric to make his appearance. Forgive me? Oh, and someone asked so I'll just tell you now. Sookie is just a plain old human. She can't hear a peep out of any minds, human or other. This is just a simple love story between a girl and her vampire husband. In fact, other than Eric becoming a vampire I have no desire to make it too sad or angst filled either.

I screamed. I screamed and then I passed out. Like I said, it was all too much. I woke up on my porch cradled in Eric's arms. My first thought was 'My God, he's alive!' but then I remembered the news, and scary Pamela Ravenscroft, and Eric's cold fingers. And I knew. Eric was most certainly not alive, in fact he was very much dead, but he was looking at me while holding me in his arms. At that moment I couldn't find it in myself to care that he was a vampire and that he drank blood. He was back. My Eric was back.

"Oh, God Eric, I missed you so much. I was lost without you." I began to cry in his arms as he stroked my hair and gently rocked me. Occasionally I would hear his voice saying "Hush now" Or "It's going to be alright." And for those few minutes while he held me I believed him. But like all things my moment of bliss was short lived when I remembered that Eric had been gone for two years. For two years I mourned him and the life we had built. For two years I forced myself to wake up and get out of bed because I knew that was what he would have wanted. I was confused and hurt and I wanted answers.

As much as I wanted to stay in his arms I couldn't let myself. So I did the only thing that I could think of. I sat up and yelled at him. I yelled at him for leaving me and my voice was filled with all of the hurt of the last two years and he flinched at my words. I knew I had hurt him and I didn't care because he had hurt me by staying away for so long.

"Why Eric, why didn't you come to me? I would have understood. I would have done anything to have you back. When you died, it almost killed me. I died a little more every day. If you had just told me…" I wailed at him and I am sure the results weren't pretty but Eric never looked away. He let me get everything out that needed out. Even as a vampire he still knew better than to interrupt my thought processes. He knew that I needed to get this out to move forward. I also felt that if he was still the Eric I knew at all that he would be honest with me about what had kept him away.

With much effort I stood up from Eric's lap. I felt like if I broke contact with him that he might disappear from me again. I walked to the front door of my apartment and stepped inside. I thought Eric would follow me but he just stood at the door looking sheepish.

My heart broke a little as I looked at him debate whether he wanted to come inside my house. He didn't seem to want to come in. He didn't want to spend time with me. God, why did he even come see me? I felt the tears build again but my waterworks were cut short by Eric.

"You need to invite me in. I can't enter your home without a proper invitation." He smirked and I felt a tug at more than my heart. It's him, it's really him. Thank you, God.

"That's weird, Eric. Okay… won't you please come in?"

In a flash too fast for my eyes to follow he was standing before me and crushing his lips to mine. If I'd had any doubt before that this being was Eric they were put aside the moment his lips met mine. His was the only kiss I'd ever known. We kissed like not even a minute had passed with us apart, like the last two years were just a horrible nightmare. I wanted the embrace to last forever but I knew we needed to talk. I had so many questions that my mind refused to let me live in the moment and continue our kiss.

"I can't do this, I need… I have questions." I looked up into the eyes of the love of my life. Eyes that an hour before I thought I'd never gaze into again.

Eric laughed. "Of course you do, I didn't expect anything else. In fact I figured you would have hit me a few times by now."

Eric sat on my couch and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He looked so funny on my little sofa. I felt a moment of extreme sadness when I thought about how we would have picked out a much different couch if he had been with me when I bought it. I let out a half hearted laugh. My thoughts must have been written on my face.

"No, we would not have bought this couch Sookie, that's for sure."

He patted the spot next to him and I sat down. He placed his arm around my shoulder and I resisted the urge to burry myself in 'my spot' in the crook of his arm. It's not that I didn't want to though.

"Just… tell me. Tell me what happened and where you've been."

Eric took a deep breath and I thought it odd. I'd noticed that he didn't breathe at all and I could tell from my position next to him that his heart didn't beat either. I won't lie, it freaked me out. I was sitting with my husband who was technically an animated corpse. I had to push that thought out of my mind quickly it was just too… weird.

"I can't tell you everything Sookie." I started to tense up and argue but he put his cool finger to my lips and finished what he was saying. "But what I can tell you will be the truth."

"I was attacked on my way home from being out with Jason. But I guess you figured that out. I was on my way and I saw a woman on the side of the road next to a car. She had the hood up so I assumed it had broken down. God, if I had known… I wouldn't have stopped. But I think, no, I know she would have gotten me sooner or later.

"I pulled over and before I could even ask if she needed help she was on me. She was so small and frail looking but she kicked my ass. I tried Sookie, I tried to stop her. God, I tried."

His retelling made me remember how they had found his body and I knew he was telling the truth. I had always known he fought for his life.

"She overpowered me and drug me into the tree line on the side of the road. She drank my blood, I remember thinking two things. One, I wanted to hold you so bad it hurt. And two, I couldn't believe vampires were real. I thought she was just killing me but apparently she gave me her blood because I woke up a vampire.

"She let you bury me and that I am appreciative of. I was told that I could not contact you and that you had buried me and said your goodbyes. Honestly, that's all the information she would give. I was angry but there was nothing I could do. I wanted to see you but she forbade it. I knew you would understand and accept me regardless but she said it didn't matter. Plus she had plans for me."

I stiffened at the mention of plans. Had Eric been in a relationship with her, had he been unfaithful? Once again, Eric seemed to have read my mind as he answered my unspoken question.

"No, not plans like that. She prefers women over men for… pleasure."

I blushed and let out the breath I'd been holding.

"My maker chose me for strength. She needed someone to help her with her plans. Plans that I can't divulge right now Sookie, I'm sorry. Suffice it to say she had done her homework and she liked my physique and my mind. She knew that I had a business degree. She picked me…personally.

"I begged her so many times to let me see you Sookie, you must know that. But she refused and commanded me to never seek out anyone from my past. I missed Jason too, you know."

I looked up at Eric at the mention of Jason and saw that his eyes were rimmed with red. The red liquid escaped his eye and I realized it was a tear. Eric was crying blood tears. I cried along with him as he told his tale, me with my salty human tears and Eric with his bloody vampire ones. I knew I still loved him, vampire and all and no matter what he was my family and I had no intention of letting him leave me again. I tucked myself into my 'spot' and listened to Eric tell me about the last two years of his existence. Since technically it wasn't his life because his 'life' was over.

"My maker wasn't completely cold hearted, though she would tell you that she is. She treated me well and does to this day. She taught me the basics and I learn more from her everyday. At first I hated her, I hated that she took you from me. Or I guess me from you. But over time I forgave her. I had to if I wanted to move on. I thought I would never see you again. I had no idea that vampires wanted to make themselves know, at least Pam never told me…"

I shot up like a rocket and launched myself off of the couch. Pam! Pam? Little pearls and pink cashmere Pam? Wicked witch of the West Pam? TV Pam?

"I know her." I said as I looked down at him. He nodded his head in agreement.

"I told you…plans." He smiled but his sadness was palpable.

"Does she know that you're here?" I began to get frightened. I feared that Pam was just outside the door waiting to snatch my husband away from me again.

"Yes, she told me to contact you if I wanted to, since vampires are revealing themselves all over the world tonight. But there are limitations." Eric looked down as another tear broke free from his chin. I watched it as it landed on the dark denim of his jeans and disappear.

"What limitations Eric. What is it?" I didn't think I was going to be able to handle his answer.

"I can't come back. I can't be with you anymore."

"Bullshit! Bullshit, Eric. I won't have it. You're MINE! Not hers! You belong to me, you belong with me. Please, please don't leave me again Eric. I'll die. I swear I'll die." I believed it too if the pain in my chest was any indication.

"We still have tonight, lover." He said as he reached for me.

'Fuck that! No! It's not enough. I won't let you leave… I won't." My mind started planning ways that I could keep him here but I had no idea how. And if I could would I really? Would I kidnap my own husband? Hell yes I would. "And what is that lover shit? I am not your lover, I am your wife!" I sat down and buried my head in my hands I was crying in earnest now. I was desperate but I had no idea what to do.

"Sookie?"

I didn't look up.

"Sookie, look at me."

"No, I won't, I won't let you break my heart again. I won't watch as you walk away from me."

And then I felt it, in my head. A dull tugging sensation and I felt Eric's presence in my home stronger than before and his scent filled my nose and I had no choice but to look at him.

"You won't remember that I was here. You came home and fell asleep and had a nice dream about us. You dreamt that we made love under the oak that we used to sneak off to on Jason's property. I told you that I love you always and you told me the same."

My anger flared. Who was he to tell me what I saw and didn't see? Apparently it was him that tugged at my mind earlier. He was trying some vampire mojo on me and I was not going to put up with it. I wasn't just someone that he could toss aside. I am his wife for Christ's sake.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing Eric Johan Northman but stop it. I know you are here. I know you are alive, I guess. And I will not let you go again. Let that bitch come here. I'll tell her myself. She may have taken you once but I will walk through hell with bare feet before I let her take you again."

Eric was stunned speechless. He shook his head and chuckled.

"I should have known my glamor wouldn't work on you. You have always been so pig headed and stubborn."

"Is that what it's called? Well I'm glad it doesn't work, Buddy. You were trying to make me forget you." I stomped my foot and Eric only laughed harder.

As I stood before him I remembered what he said.

"Do you, Eric? Do you really still love me?" I know he could read the hope in my eyes.

"As much as a vampire can, Sookie." He looked forlorn. I hated seeing that expression on his face.

"What does that mean, Eric? I don't understand." Either he loved me or he didn't.

"I am a predator, Sookie. I drink human blood, and you are a human. I cherish my memories of you, and I care for you but we can never be together, not like we were. I'll always be a vampire and you'll always be a food source."

He couldn't have hurt me more if he had physically ripped my heart out. I didn't care that he was a vampire, why should he. I'm the one that stood to lose out in this relationship and I didn't care. I still loved him with all of my heart. How could he say those things to me?

"That's ridiculous, Eric. You drink TruBlood now so you don't need human blood anymore. I know you still love me, I know you do." But the conviction is my voice just wasn't there. What do I know about vampires? Nothing. Maybe he was right maybe he couldn't love me anymore.

"I need to be going Sookie, I see it was a mistake to come here. I just wanted to see you so badly. Even if just to say goodbye." He stood up to leave and my heart fell into my stomach. He was leaving me again. I didn't think I could handle the pain again so I tried to find a new emotion.

"Fuck you, Eric. Go to hell."

He reached for the door to leave without saying another word. He wouldn't even look at me. He paused for a second before opening the door and I had a brief moment of hope that he would change his mind. But he didn't and as he opened the door I saw her. Pamela Ravenscroft, the she-devil herself. She looked me up and down in a way that made me feel like a side of beef, which to her I guess I might as well have been. She sneered at me before she spoke.

"Trust me, Honey. As far as hell goes the last two years he's been there and done that." She gave me another once over and continued. "Aren't you going to invite me in? I guess you don't have to since my child has been invited and any invitation to my child is an invitation to me. But really, don't you think it more hospitable for you to say the words?"

"Ms. Ravenscroft, won't you please come in?"

"Why thank you Sookie, I do appreciate good southern manners."

Pam smirked at me as she made her way over to a chair across from the couch. She pointed to the couch and Eric dutifully sat down. I didn't really know what to do so I plopped down next to Eric.

"So Sookie, aren't you going to offer refreshments."

Eric looked at Pam in shock and I was absolutely petrified. I think I may have made to offer to Eric if things had gone better earlier but I know without a doubt that I didn't want Pam sucking blood from my neck.

Pam laughed at the looks on our faces. "Oh, for goodness sakes lighten up you two. I swear Eric, you are even less fun around Sookie, if that is even possible." With that Pam laughed and it was absolutely terrifying. Even Eric stiffened in his seat. That can't be a good reaction.