The next six months went by quickly. I started reading at Fangstasia once a week. I saw Eric once that time. I was called in for an emergency reading and went to Eric's office to stash my purse. It had been four months since I'd seen him and when I went in I walked in on him speed humping some slut.
He looked at me so cold and continued to fuck the girl as he talked to me. "Something I can help you with Miss Stackhouse." And smirked at me coldly. I ran out of the office, did my readings and went home to cry myself to sleep.
Over these six months I realized I did indeed care about Eric, more than I ever thought. I also knew I hurt him deeply. But he had moved on. I could read that in the minds of the Fangbangers in his bar. He must have fucked all of them. Alcide and I where friends and hung out once every few weeks. He never pressured me for anything else and had become one of my closest friends.
Even Pam and I had become friends. At first she was a snarky bitch, but over the months we had become close. Sometimes hanging out and going shopping. Thanks to the money I made from Fangstasia, I'd been able to cut back to Merlotte's part time and had started attending LSU part time. I was finally going to college, studying English and Literature. I had friends at school and hung out with from time to time as well.
In all this time I heard nothing from Bill. He had disappeared from Bon Temps. That is until tonight when my door bell rang. I got up from my couch where I'd been working on some school work.
"Bill" I said.
"Hi Sukheh. May I come in?" he asked.
I nodded We made small talk for a few minutes. I told him about school then about working at Fangstasia.
"This is all that fucker's fault" he growled.
"What is?"
"The fact that you and I are no more. If he just kept his fucking mouth shut. "
I was appalled. "What so I could keep living a lie!"
"Sukheh I love you" he said and moved over to start kissing me. I tried to push him away but kept my down and started ripping my clothes off.
"Bill I rescind.." I started to say but he held his hand over my mouth. His hand where running all over my body. Was Bill going to rape me? He stuck one of his fingers in my vagina and starting pushing in and out. This was not happening. I thought in my mind" Eric.. help me please Eric come help me"
Bill kept touch me and shoving his fingers inside me. I just cried. This was going to happen. He bit into my breast and started to drink. I kept trying to shove him off… but no luck.
Feeling his cock brush up against my folds I close my eyes and try to take myself somewhere else. I feel a bolt of wind my door slams open and faster than I can see Bill is off me and in the yard. Getting beaten to pulp.
Pam rushes in "Oh Sookie." she cries and covers me with a blanket. She helps me get up and I head over to the door to watch what's going on. Eric is beating the ever loving shit out of him.
"How dare you come back here! How dare you rape her." He yelled as he continued to pulverize Bill. Somehow Eric had heard me call to him. He came to help me.
Eric lifts him up by the scruff of the neck "Your going to die your true death now Billy. And it's gonna hurt like hell"
I run out "Eric no!"
He turns on me" You expect me to spare his life. After what he's done to you?" he growls.
"Will you get in trouble if you kill him Eric? What if he's here as a spy?"
'She's got a point Eric." Pam agrees.
"Fine. I'll chain him up in the dungeon. Come Billy time to go. Pam you stay here and assist Sookie."
Pam pouts." You're going to get to have all the fun torturing him" she whines.
I can't help it. I started laughing. Pam sounded like a spoiled child. Even Eric smiles.
"Eric why don't you let Pam have some fun? You can stay and help me right?" I ask.
"Are you okay with that Sookie?" he asks.
"Yes. I'd like it if you stayed."
He nods to Pam. she runs up and hugs me" Thanks my friend. I'll call you tomorrow." And quicker than a flash she's gone with Bill.
Eric and I just stand staring at each other. He heads over and picks me up and carries me upstairs to the bathroom. He sits me on the counter and turns on the water. "May I inspect your bruises Sookie?"
I nod and he undoes the blanket from around me. He see's the rough bites marks on my breasts and growls. Watching him bend down he rummages under my sink until he find some gauze. Biting into his finger I watch as the blood gathers on it and he hands it to me. I place the gauze my breast and can feel the marks healing. Eric covers me back up with the blanket. Once the tub is full he motions for me to get in.
"Ill wait for you downstairs." He says and leaves me alone.
I get in the tub and try to clean the dirty off me. But I lose it. Bill, the man I loved, gave my virginity too, almost raped me and would have if it had not been for Eric. I start to cry. For everything. For Bill, my lost innocence, for throwing Eric away. I just cant' stop.
Eric comes in the bathroom and just shushes me. He starts to clean me off in a very clinical way. Once I'm clean he washes my hair for me. I just keep on crying. Once he's done he lifts me out of the tub and wraps a towel around me. He carries me into the bedroom and sits me on the bed.
I see him going through my drawers and come over with a nightgown. "Hand's up Sookie" he orders and pulls the towel away and slips the nightgown over my head.
He gathers me up and puts me in bed drawing the covers around me. Getting in on the other side he takes me in his arms and just let's me sob. I gradually drift off to sleep.
I only must have dozed off for a while since when I woke up Eric was still laying next to me with his arms around me.
"Thank you." I whisper.
He nods. "How did you know to come?" I ask.
"I heard you call out to me. I felt your fear and despair."
"I don't deserve it, but thank you Eric. You saved me."
"I promised you I would protect you." He said.
We lay there in silence for awhile" Did he rape you?" he asks.
"No. If you'd been any later he would have. He did other things though.."
"I'll kill him." He growls.
"I trust you to do what needs to be done Eric."
Eric looks at me startled. "You do?"
"Yes Eric. I was wrong to say the things I did. I know now that you cared for me. I know I can never take back the horrible things I said, but I do hope we can at least be friends again."
"What will your boyfriend think of that?"
"Huh?"
"Alcide. I know you've been spending time with him." Eric says somewhat angrily.
"Eric, Alcide is a friend. I was not ready for a relationship after what Bill did. We do spend time together though. But I don't like him like that."
"I see"
"Besides I've been too busy. I'm taking classes at LSU, and working at Merlotte's and Fangstasia."
"I heard about school. I'm happy your getting an education." He smiles at me.
"It's great. I love my classes. I'm learning a lot"
"I'm happy for you Sookie. I'm proud of you as well."
I smile at him. All the anger I'd seen in his eyes the last time is gone. I kiss him on the cheek.
"I am truly sorry Eric. For everything."
"I know Sookie. I was a bit of an ass as well. I'm not used to interactions with humans."
"So are we okay Eric?" I ask. I had missed him. Even though he can be an arrogant prick most of the time.
"We are Sookie." He smiles back at me and kisses me on the forehead.
I yawn again and cuddle up in his arms falling asleep.
The next morning I wake up and sun is streaming through the windows. I hobble down to the kitchen to make my coffee and breakfast and see a note and a glass with blood in it.
Sookie,
I wanted to wake you when I left but you look like you needed rest. I've left some of my blood for you. If you want to heal please feel free to drink it. If not I understand. It has been several months since you've had my blood, so there should be on ill side effects. Just so you know.
I'll see you Saturday at Fangstasia.
E
It was sweet. In a very vampirey way, but after all Eric is a vampire. Without hesitation I gulped the blood down quickly. Immediately I started to feel better. And he'll see me at Fangstasia. He's never around on the nights I'm supposed to be their. Maybe we can be friends again.
Luckily I'm off so I spend the day catching up on household chores and relaxing. At night fall I decide to call Eric and thank him. He picks up his cell on the second ring.
"Hi Eric."
"Hello. How are you tonight?"
'Much better I just wanted to call and thank you for last night and for the healing."
"You drank the blood?" he asks.
"I did. Thanks I feel great"
He is quiet for a moment. "I'm glad your well. And I'm glad you trusted me."
"You've never given me reason to not."
We make small talk for a few more minutes. Eric asks about my schedule the rest of the week and I tell him I'll be busy with school. So we say our goodbyes and plan to see each other Saturday at Fangtasia.
The rest of the week flies by. I take care of my school obligations and work and finally Saturday rolls around. I get ready and make my way to Fangstasia. I pull up and park and head to the front is out front checking ID's.
"Hello my friend how are you?" she asks.
"I'm good. Busy night as usual huh?"
She nods. "Oh yes the vermin are out in full force. Go on in. Eric's on his throne."
I head in and go over to the bar to grab soda. I start to make my way to a table but Eric notices me and motions me over to his throne area.
"Hi Sookie" He gets up and hugs me.
Who would have thought Eric was a hugger. He motions for me to sit next to him.
We make small talk for a bit, until I finally ask about Bill.
"So is Bill finally dead?" I ask.
"No. You and Pam where right. The Queen sent him to check on things. Make sure I had you in line and all."
"Lovely"
"He took it upon himself to try and have sex with you."
I sigh."Am I safe from him?"
"For now. She was happy I was able to protect the kingdom's telepath."
The Kingdom? I thought I was his?
"Eric, I thought I was yours? "
"You are my telepath since you're in my area and under my protection. But you are an asset of the kingdom."
"Can the Queen take me?" I ask scared.
"She could, but since you are within the kingdom and willing to do her bidding if she calls, for now she's fine leaving you here in my protection."
"What happens if one day she's not?"
"We will have to deal with it. I'll do everything I can for you to be allowed to stay here, but if she forces my hand, I'm sure we can make a deal where you will have some freedom."
Damn. I really hurt him. He was going to claim me as his human. Would that have given me more protection? Should I ask him? What if I piss him off again? Oh hell I'm going to ask him.
"Eric if I was like your's… I mean you're human; would that have kept me safer?"
He looks over at me with sadness in his eyes." Yes Sookie. It would have. It is against vampire law for another vampire to claim one's human. Especially if that human is a bonded human. Which was what I had planned."
"What's a bonded human?"
"When a human and vampire share three mutual blood exchanges, a bond is formed. It is a more formal commitment in the vampire world. You could compare to human engagement. When a human is not only bonded but pledged to a vampire, the punishment of taking that vampire's human is final death."
"Pledged?" I ask.
"Pledged with the sacred knife. Marriage according to vampire custom."
Oh wow. Once again I realize the depth of how much I hurt Eric. "Did you plan on bonding with me?" Call me stupid, I needed to know.
I look into Eric's eyes and swear I see blood tears. He quickly looks away and wipes his eyes.
"Yes Sookie. I planned for us to be bonded and eventually pledged."
Holy Shit! Eric had wanted to really commit himself to me. He had wanted to marry me according his customs. What the fuck did I do?
"I'm so sorry Eric." I go to grab his hand.
He quickly pulls it back. "I don't need your pity. I see now how foolish it was for me to want such a connection with a human. You're such irrational beings."
"Eric I don't want to fight with you." I tell him.
"Then I suggest you never bring this up again. Understood?"
"Okay Eric." I say quietly.
The next few hours where tense between us, but by the end of the night we ended up getting along pretty okay. I would just have to face facts I lost my chance with Eric.
And I did. For the next few months I did my time at Fangstasia every week. Eric and I always hung out together on those nights. I had gotten to know him pretty well. The whole tough guy vampire thing was only part of him. He could be a lot of fun to be around. I enjoyed our friendship but I realized the more time I spent with Eric, the more I was falling for him.
One night Pam and I decided to hit the mall. We did sometimes. She dragged me into Victoria's Secret claiming she needed some new lingerie. As she tried on things she said me" Sookie you should get some Maybe it would give you some confidence to go out and get laid."
"Geez Pam. I'm busy enough with school, and working at Merlotte's and Fangstasia, I don't have time for a man now."
"You love him don't you?"
"Love who Pam?"
"Eric. You're in love with him. I see the way you look at him. And I know you cried when you saw him with that fangbanger last week."
I had. One night after my evening class finished up I decided to stop at Fangstasia and hang out with Eric and Pam who where fast becoming my closest friends. When I pulled up I saw Eric helping a giggling fangbanger into his car. He looked over to me and waved, but he still went with her. Pam had found me crying in the parking lot.
"I doesn't matter Pam. I had my chance with him. And as you told me all those months ago, I blew it."
"He cares for you, whether he'll admit it or not. I'm sick of this dance you two are doing. He wants you, you want him. Just fuck already."
"Geez Pam." I squeal.
"Look Sookie, I've gotten to know you, and I like you more than any other breather. You are the only person I've seen Eric go without sex for. He had intended to court you. Your immaturity and his high handedness screwed things up."
"Forget it Pam." I fume
She dropped it. I got to Fangstasia on Friday night for my weekly readings and made my way over to the throne area.
"Hey Sookie" Eric greets and get's up to hug me. I stop him" Hey Eric" I say and sit down next to him.
For two hours Eric kept trying to engage me in conversation but I kept my answers short. If I was ever going to get over him, I needed to distance myself. For my sanity.
"Something wrong Sookie?" he finally asked me.
"No why would you think that?"
"Your ignoring me."
"I just have a lot on my mind."
"Okay but you better get out of your funk; tomorrow's the Blood Bank benefit. It should be quite a fun night."
Oh hell. I'd forgotten I agreed to go with Eric."Oh yeah about that, I can't make it. I told Sam I'd work a shift tomorrow night."
"Sookie you agreed last month to be my date. Not very polite to ditch me the night before." He smirks.
"Something came up. Just get one of your whores to go with you." I fume.
"I did not want to go with one of my "whores" as you put it. I wanted to take you." He says with his voice raised.
Now I'm gonna lose it "Why Eric? At least if you take one of the fangbangers, you'll get a feed and fuck at the end of the night."
"Because I thought it would be nice for you to have a night out. You work and study too much. If you did not want to go, you should have not said yes." he seethes.
"Look there's nothing going on here tonight. I'm leaving. Find someone else to take, I'm not going." I grab my purse and head out to the employee exit.
Once I reach my car I have tears in my eyes. Eric grabs me" Sookie, what's wrong, why are you crying? Are you mad about seeing me with Gia?"
"I don't give a fuck what that whore's name was. I'm surprised you bothered to learn it."
I manage to push him away and get in my car and drive off. I heard from Pam later that week he took her to the benefit.