AN: Okay, I know that it took me longer to get this chapter out than originally planned, but school has started which means I'm back to work and in Grad classes, so please forgive the delays. I'll continue to work really hard at getting chapters out as soon as possible. I will admit that the amazing reviews and PM's I've been getting make me want to find the time to keep writing, so please keep them coming! LOL!

Thanks again to my amazing beta Sunkisz! If you haven't read the latest chapter of Rival High, run now and read it! I just love her Sookie/Eric/Pam relationship! *hugs*

I hope this chapter helps clear up some of the questions on Bill!


EPOV

I just couldn't understand what I was seeing. I was surprised to see that schmuck standing at the front of the training room. Just watching him write his fucking name on the board made me want to hull off and smack him. The way his disheveled dark brown hair hung over his forehead had always been an annoyance to me. I wondered if he would miss it if I ripped it out. Obviously, he didn't give a damn what he looked like at work. How professional, I sarcastically thought.

I watched him turn his attention away from the board and refocused his regards on a petite brunette at one of the front tables. He strutted - as best as he could - over to her, a predatory gleam in his eye. His mouth slightly pulled up at the corner. Oh, I'm sure he thought he was God's gift to woman - the hero and the knight swooping in to save a maiden in distress- the true southern gentleman with his southern accent. When in reality, Bill Compton was far from all the grand illusions that I'm sure he felt about himself. In actuality, Bill was a fraud. He mimicked that of a southern gentleman, only to be toxic to those he let close to him.

I felt the soft rage that had originally started to heat me up increase at the thought of my previous dealings with him. My jaw had started to clench and I could vaguely make out a slight pain in my joint from the pressure. To say that I was angry and frustrated would be an understatement. I felt a jerk at my left hand. In my moment of hast and shock, I had forgotten that I had grabbed Sookie's wrist. "Eric?" I heard her say. She had turned her body to stand more in front of me - breaking my eye contact with my object of detestation.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. I didn't mean to startle to you. Did I hurt you?" I unwound my fingers from around her tiny wrist and took her hand in mine. As I looked for any signs of my hold on her, she confirmed my own observations. "No, Eric, you didn't hurt me - just worried me for a moment".

Bill had thrown me off from my normal collected calm. The worst part of it all was that I faltered in front of Sookie. The subtle burn of anger inside was morphing into a sense of frustration and slight embarrassment. The latter of which I rarely ever felt, making me that more irritated. This was not the time to discuss Bill. I did not want to make Sookie feel uncomfortable on her first day, so I decided to not let her think anything was amiss. "It looks like people have already arrived and that class is about to get started. Let's get you in there". Our hands were no longer connected, and as much as I wanted to reach out and touch her again, I refrained. How I wanted to touch her all the time was confusing to me. It was as if it was a subconscious decision my body was making, and my head was overriding the innate urge to connect.

Bill was closing the door, unaware of our approach. I extended my arm to place my hand on the wooden door, stopping it from closing in our faces. I had to admit that I felt complacent at Bill's facial expression when he saw me. Obviously, he was a little rattled by my appearance as much as I was about his. "Northman", he said, while nodding, with displeasure in his voice. I returned the nod and sound of disdain. "Compton. I assume you are no longer at River Rouge?"

Bill snorted. He actually fucking snorted in my face? This guy was reawakening a deep sense of loathing that had been kept in the past. He looked almost amused when he countered. "You're not the only one that can get a higher position. Or did you think you were?"

I felt the clench in my jaw return and my fingers tighten in my palms. I was seeing red and the only thing that was stopping me from knocking the bastard out was Sookie; and maybe in a lesser way, my respect for my job and uncle.

As if I wasn't even standing there, Bill turned his predator eyes to Sookie. "Hello, sweetheart. Who might you be?" Jealousy was now coursing through me. Jealousy? This was something I had not felt in some time. I could tell that he was trying to be seductive, but to me it only sounded pathetic. I only hoped that Sookie felt the same way.

"Sir, my name is Sookie Stackhouse. And while I would normally not address someone after they have treated me with such unprofessionalism, I feel that would not help my purpose in being here this morning", she replied without missing a beat. Much like she had done yesterday during the interview. This woman certainly was an enigma. The petite package before me held such fire and passion that I was almost in awe of her.

Bill's leer turned into a disturbing smile. He looked Sookie over, and then decided to address me again by looking me in the face. "Well, Northman. It looks like I will be the one who gets to train Sookie. Don't worry. She'll learn a lot from me."

I was about to lose it. I leaned forward slightly, leaving just inches from our faces. My voice was low and full of hate as I spoke. "You will remember who I am, Compton, and whose plant you're in. You will not push me this time or the outcome for yourself will be quite different than previously." I meant every word. I had not forgotten about the past or his part in hurting Amelia. If he even thought about crossing that line with Sookie, and in turn myself, I would not hesitate to jeopardize my job to make sure that the woman beside me was safe. Would I really do that, I thought to myself. Yes, I would.

It was the total shock of surprise that dampened my seething at that moment. I felt a small warmth encroach my hand. I looked down and found that it was Sookie, this time who had reached out to me. I'm not sure what to make of this new development, but I do know that I felt a surge of comfort and pride flow through myself. She had reached out to me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my anger had been put on display at the provocation from Bill. It did, however, astonish me that Sookie had noticed my difference and wanted to console me. I glanced from her hand to her face, wondering if she would pull away from her own calculations, but she didn't. In fact, she did quite the opposite. She gave me a small smile and a calmly spoke. "Eric. Thank you so much for bringing me to work and showing me here this morning. I look forward to you stopping by during my lunch break." With that, she gave my hand a little squeeze and I couldn't help but squeeze back.

Annoyed, Bill clipped out, "Class is starting with or without you Ms. Stackhouse." With that he turned to walk back to his position at the front of the room. I took this time to remind Sookie of our location. "Sookie, I am right up the stairs, the fourth door on the left. If you ever feel...uncomfortable, please don't hesitate to come find me."

"Thank you, Eric, but I'm sure I'll be fine". She was quiet, but softly smiling when she spoke. She allowed our hands to drift apart and walked through the training room door. I stood staring through the small window after the door closed, and watched her take her seat at the table by a small model wing of a plane sitting in front of her. This woman was amazing. I have never felt the pull towards another as I do towards her. It was not something that I was forcing or even purposefully seeking out - it just was. What was even more profound was my lack of fear towards this new development. I had only met her yesterday, yet the comfortableness I felt around her was a welcomed distraction from my distant, overworked life.

I had bypassed the mezzanine stairs and was walking towards my uncle's office. I had one major burning question and he better damn well have a good answer. The only comfort that I found in leaving Sookie was the fact that my office was only yards away from her and that I had been invited to stop by and see her during her lunch break. I chuckled to myself at the thought of her declaration. I'm sure that she only said that to irritate Bill, but I was going to take full advantage of it. I was a practical and realistic man, and rarely would pass up an opportunity that could be beneficial to me. In this case, Sookie was a pleasant and desirable opportunity that I would adjust my lunch hour around. I thought for a moment about having lunch with Sookie. I hadn't noticed a lunch bag with her this morning when she got in the car. I wondered what she planned on doing for food. Surely she ate. Maybe this was a better opportunity than I had originally thought. I began to have random ideas of putting together a make-shift date in my office.

"Good morning, Gloria. Is Niall available?" I asked as I approached his secretary. She picked up the phone in front of her and spoke into it. Setting it back on the receiver she responded, "Go on in, Mr. Northman".

Niall didn't even turn around when I opened the door. Instead he began talking while hanging up his coat and hat on the rack in the corner of his office. "It must be important for you to seek me out before we have even started our day." He was right. I rarely sought out Niall first thing in the morning. I loved and respected my uncle dearly, but we were separate men working in the same place of work. In fact, many of the workers did not even know that we were related and that was for the best. The last thing that I needed was people assuming I got where I am today riding the coattails of my uncle. Niall had only opened the door for me, but it was I that had worked hard to make a name for myself and my success is my own doing. It was important that we keep boundaries between personal and business issues. However, this morning I was about to blur the line and I knew it.

I didn't even bother with pleasantries. Instead I blurted out the burning question in a demanding way. "Why the hell is Bill Compton here?"

"Ah, yes. I was waiting for this conversation to take place, but I'll admit Eric, this was a lot faster than I anticipated. Could it have anything to do with Bill being the person training Ms. Stackhouse today?" The amusement in his voice was one more irritation that I could have done without.

"Just answer the question Niall," I requested. By now he had began to laugh a little as he took his seat behind his desk. He regarded me for a moment, but when he realized that I would not leave nor budge until I got the information I sought-after, he obliged me.

"A month ago, Compton was promoted to work on the wiring systems for the wings of the Bomber's. You know how he's always been some sort of technical geek?" I nodded my head so that he knew I was following. "Well, apparently he was in the right place at the right time when the electrical team was meeting at the RR plant. He walked in on them discussing some wiring problem, and long story short he helped fix it with a suggestion. That was all it took for the team to decide that he would be a good addition to the team and help others learn how to instill the wires properly on the wings - where the main problem was at." When Niall just stopped talking, he sat waiting for my response like he was anticipating it.

I stood with my arms crossed processing this information. So, Compton was the one who I had heard about that saved the company from utter embarrassment of not being able to solve a simple wiring problem. The minor problem could have lead to the company having to outsource part of the assembly, which would not have looked good for us and our reputation in both the public and private sectors. This information did only one thing: piss me off even more than I thought possible. In some screwed up, twisted way, we owed our jobs to Bill Compton. There was nothing I could do, but accept the presence of Compton around me…and Sookie.

When I had not responded after some time, Niall must have realized my defeat and decided to change the subject. "So, I noticed you and Sookie's little interaction out in the parking lot this morning. It seems as though there may be something more to that little angel like we had thought, I take it?" Niall asked me with a smile stretched across his face. I knew he was baiting me, but my uncle and I had always talked casually about our lives and the woman that would, on occasion, walk in and out of them. Even with our closeness, I wasn't sure if I was ready to explain the uniqueness that I felt about Sookie.

Just the thought of her made me smile. I felt a little of the frustration melt away when I was musing about my response. "Yes Niall, She is definitely different and interesting." I didn't elaborate anything more than that. I didn't think this was the neither time nor place to discuss anything further. I started to make my way to the door when I noticed the bag of vegetables on the floor and I had a sudden idea. Niall was still watching me when I asked, "Do you mind if I take a few of these vegetables?" He didn't ask me what I wanted them for, but simply responded, "Help yourself. I gave Gloria an extra ration coupon for milk and she in turn gave me some vegetables from her garden." Bartering and exchanging was extremely common nowadays. It was almost a way of survival for some. As sad as it was, I understood why so many people had resorted to stealing other people's rations books. There was no excuse for it, but I couldn't blame them. I quickly grabbed a tomato, cucumber, and some snow peas from the bag and headed out. I grabbed two apples of the corner of Gloria's desk as well. We always brought in apples from Niall's apple trees for the employees. As I made my way to my office, I found myself looking forward to my lunch date.

SPOV

I was honest when I told Eric that he didn't hurt me when he grabbed me. Startled and worried, yes. Hurt, no. But, when Mr. Compton and Eric stood face-to-face, I knew that there was something serious bothering Eric. Seeing him so tense and on the verge of outwardly expressing his anger that I felt rolling off of him unnerved me. Maybe there was a different side to Eric that he hadn't shown me yet? After all, I only met him yesterday. However, something told me that this side didn't emerge often. I don't know how or why I felt the things that I did towards Eric, but they just seemed to be there naturally. Even when I first met Sam, it took me months to feel the ease and familiarity that I feel around Eric. It is extremely scary, yet not at the same time if that made sense at all.

My emotions soon took a lesson from Eric when Bill called me sweetheart. First of all, that is a personal address, one of which was not welcomed. Second, how dare he call me sweetheart when I am here to do a job. I hated how my world was constantly okay with men demeaning woman and regarding them as anything less than equal. I had met men while at college that I knew in my heart I could run circles around intellectually yet they were the ones put on a pedestal in my math and science classes. In fact, us females often had to teach ourselves the concepts because we were constantly reminded by our male professors that we would never understand the concepts, nor use them, so why bother. In a way, I guess I could thank those arrogant, feeble minded men for who I am now. They made me want to fight harder for a place in a male world.

I responded to Mr. Compton's comment with poise and disdain, making sure that he understood that I was not a passive woman. It then took every bit of Gran's teaching of manners, to keep me from acting less than a proper lady as I watched Mr. Compton's eyes rake down and back up my body. I felt exposed and vulnerable - traits that I despised. When he made the comment of training me, I was just about to make my anger known. However, Eric was the one who let his show instead. Eric had insinuated that he knew Mr. Compton previously. Now it was making sense why this man was goading Eric; they had some sort of history together. Whatever it was, it must not have been good.

Whatever the issue was, I didn't feel like this imbecile was worth Eric getting in trouble over, so I needed to defuse the situation fast. Almost instinctively - much like him - I reached out to grab Eric's hand. I had to first try to squeeze a finger in to his clenched fist in order to relax his grip. But he did so quickly, and soon I was able to place my whole hand in his. I watched how my small fingers slipped underneath his large ones. When I looked up, Eric had turned his attention to me, studying my face looking at me like he was searching for something. I couldn't help, but give him a small smile. Suddenly, much like a light switch had come on, I knew exactly how to reward Eric's focus on me and away from the source of his anger, and also get back at Mr. Compton. I thanked Eric for the ride to work and told him that I was looking forward to seeing him at lunch. I didn't even know why I said the last part. I hadn't even packed a lunch for today, but I didn't care once I saw the look of pride flash in Eric's eyes. Bill quickly stated with irritation that class was starting and walked away. It left Eric and I alone for a moment, giving him time to remind me that his office was close if I needed him. I thanked him and walked into the room finding a seat in the middle of the office.

All the tables were set up length wise in long rows. There were six other girls besides myself in here placed around the tables with model airplane wings. Wires of green, blue, black, red, white, and yellow were placed freely in the middle of the table behind the models. Bill - as he wanted to be called - began explaining how to cut precise measurements of each wire first prior to anchoring them at the broad end of the model aircraft wing. He left very little time before explaining the next batch of instructions on how to attach the wires in the wing, the significance of the different colors of the wires, safety and precautions of attaching certain wires next to one another, and the meaning and purpose behind the placement of each. It was actually interesting to me. I could tell though, that Bill was purposefully using scientific and technical terms to frustrate and throw us off. Most of the girls were getting extremely frustrated, and I would often hear sighs and groans as we worked diligently to complete our assigned tasks of putting the wiring in.

Bill began to make his rounds around the group stopping at each girl to critique, or more like criticize, everything that they were doing. I stood watching him with my arms crossed. I was certainly beginning to detest this man. He was purposefully trying to make us feel like we were inadequate with completing the task he put before us. While many men were okay - and even embracing - women being part of the work force, some could just not except it and thought our place was at home with kids and in the kitchen. The irony of it all was that it took more human strength and endurance to run a household of children day in and out. I made a little snicker noise thinking about this which, of course, drew the attention of our watcher. "Ms. Stackhouse? I take it by you standing there idly that you are having some problems?" The smirk on his face brought back the burning indignation that I felt seconds ago.

"Actually, Mr. Compton, I've been just standing here waiting for you to finish your berating of these women to come see that I've completed the assignment." Hah! The look on his face was priceless. He wasted no time making his way over to the wing I had been working on. He poked and prodded, lifted and shifted the wires, searching out any minute mistake I may have made. However, much to his displeasure, there were none.

"Beginner's luck", he exclaimed loudly.

My ire was growing by the seconds and I began to contemplate just how far too far was in telling this man how I really felt. I decided instead to call his bluff by offering him a way to 'put me in my place' that he so badly wanted. "Please, then, feel free to disassemble the wing and I will gladly put it back together while you watch. I found your use of advanced technical terms quite entertaining and enlightening." I heard a couple of the girls snicker and, again, the look on his face was priceless. Clearly Mr. Compton was not expecting the challenge from me. It looked as though he was fighting for composure for a brief moment, before he snapped out, "Let's break for an early lunch. See you in one hour." Mr. Compton had left the room before any of us had even moved. I felt kind of bad that I had acted the way that I did towards him. Gran always said that my mouth got me in more trouble than an alcoholic at a pub. But, when I saw the way he was purposefully trying to demean us, I couldn't help myself. I was in a position to throw his prejudice back in his face, so I seized the opportunity.

I glanced up to the clock on the wall and noticed that it was actually only five minutes before Eric would come to me. I figured it was close enough and made up my mind to just meet him in his office. He was right - it was only a couple of minutes from me, if that. I counted the wooden doors making sure that I would knock on the correct one. I knocked when I came to the fourth. Eric shouted, "Come In," after a second and I paused when I heard his voice. All of a sudden I felt a little nervous. I was seeking out Eric and encroaching on his territory. Did he still want to have lunch with me? I made the comment this morning hastily. Did he take me serious or as a joke? I guess there was only one way to find out. I turned the knob and opened the door to an amazing site.

I first noticed Eric sitting behind his desk with a pair of wire rimmed glasses on that made him look intelligent and powerful. It was an instant turn on for me to watch him sift through the papers before him and occasionally write with the pen in his hand. He hadn't looked up yet and I was certainly savoring the moment before I had to notify him of my presence. "Hi, Eric", I quietly said. His head sprang up and he stilled from continuing his work. He didn't say anything in return which made me even more nervous. Maybe he really didn't plan on having lunch with me. "I'm sorry, Eric, for interrupting. I just thought...well, I assumed that when you didn't say anything in difference to my suggestion for lunch, that...then Mr. Compton let us out early…. I figured I would just come up here…" I was rambling and a complete mess. I looked down and began fidgeting with my hands again. I think I might have even started sweating at the utter embarrassment of inadequacy I was feeling at the moment. This man was making me fall apart at the seams. Here just moments before I was telling Mr. Compton what I thought and now, here with Eric, I couldn't even form a sentence. What the hell?

It felt like minutes had passed before Eric responded to my incoherent explanation. "Sookie! I'm glad you're here. Of course, I planned on having lunch with you. I thought you were smarter than that to know that I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to get you alone."

I picked my head up to notice the leer in his face. I had to admit, it felt good to be wanted by him. I felt my pulse slow and my collectiveness slowly returned to normal. His sense of humor always made me feel comfortable. It was almost as if he 'got me'. He knew that breaking tension with humor was the best thing to do for me and I appreciated that about him.

"Well, there is a problem to our lunch date, Eric." Date? Did I really just call this a lunch date?

"And what might that be, Sookie?" Eric asked with amusement in his voice.

"If you didn't notice this morning, I forgot to pack a lunch, so maybe I need to take a raincheck," I admitted. If I was really being honest with myself, I didn't want to reschedule our lunch engagement. I noticed earlier this morning that I found myself periodically checking the time and looking forward to seeing Eric.

"One thing you'll soon learn about me Sookie, is that I can occasionally be observant and think ahead", he declared as he took off his glasses and set them down. He braced his hands on his desk and lifted his statuesque body out of the chair and glided towards me. Something about the way he moved towards me made feel like a gazelle in front of a lion. I swallowed and waited for direction. When he was about a foot in front of me, he stopped and extended his arm for my hand. I happily obliged, and he led me over to the couch to the side of the door. I had been so taken back by the mouth-watering look of him at his desk that I had failed to observe the rest of his office. In front of his brown leather coach was a small brown coffee table. I was astonished at what I saw before me. On the table laid two plastic green plates each with forks on top. To the side was a serving plate with cut up tomatoes and cucumbers, snow peas, slices from a loaf of bread, cheese and two glasses of iced tea. "Eric, where in the world did you get all this?" I asked amazed at the fact that he was able to have these items as well as him taking the time to locate them for us.

"Here and there; I know it's not a real lunch - more like a snack- but I figured something was better than nothing", he stated nonchalantly.

I stayed focused on Eric's eyes as I sat down. "Thank you. This is wonderful". My words were quiet as they came out. It was such a heartfelt sentiment that it almost left tears in my eyes. It had been so long since someone other than Gran had taken the time and effort to do something meaningful for me.

My stomach suddenly growled, breaking the silence and leaving me slightly embarrassed once again. Eric just chuckled and handed me my plate. I took that as my cue to dig in and loaded up my plate. Half way through me eating my second slice of tomato, Eric asked me how my day was.

"Well, it would be better if Bill wasn't there." I honestly stated then questioned if that was appropriate to say. "I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't mean to be so blunt; it's just that he's so arrogant and demeaning towards us. He acts like we are complete idiots incapable of doing anything." When I looked up to finally face Eric, his expression looked solemn. "I'm sorry, Sookie. Bill is a self-righteous bastard that has no problem using any method he sees fit to get what he wants. He and I have a past, which I'm sure you picked up on this morning. A long time ago, he pursued Amelia, but she always blew him off because she wasn't interested. After months of persistence, she finally gave in and started dating him. Long story short, he was only interested in getting close to Amelia's father to try to get him to help with a business venture. When he found that, that dream would never come to be, he let Amelia go. Needless to say, she was devastated and her trust in people has never been the same since." His explanation of what happened to Amelia made my blood boil and apparently his too - because several times during him talking, he combed his fingers through his hair and his voice became more heated.

"That is horrible, Eric. I am so sorry that happened to Amelia." I didn't really know what else to say. It didn't make a difference that I didn't know Amelia or not, no one should be treated in such a heartless way. It only made my dislike for Bill morph into something more powerful. Eric still looked as though he was walking down memory lane in his head. I didn't want him to feel like he had to do that alone so I quietly whispered his name and reached out and placed my hand on his knee to get his attention. His knee was thick with muscles and ever so slightly I squeezed my fingers enjoying the feeling of the taut fibers under my embrace. Gently, Eric placed his hand over mine and turned to me. His eyes no longer held signs of anger, but of something different that I couldn't put my finger on.

I did not stop Eric when he started to apologize to me nor when he carefully laced our fingers together and held my hand. "I probably should not have shared this information with you, Sookie. It's just that I want you to know the type of person Bill really is. When you're in that training room, remember that his offensive and disrespectful personality is not directed towards anyone in particular. That's just him. The one thing that I will ask from you is to please keep this conversation between us."

"Of course, Eric. You should remember that I've already told you before that I take the trust people put in me very serious."

"I know that I haven't known you very long, but I feel as if I can tell you anything." He immediately looked unsure of what he just revealed to me. It was a great feeling and made me feel relaxed knowing that he felt the same way about me as I did about him and I wanted to return the kind words. "Thank you, Eric. I also feel the same way. It has been a long time since I've had anyone to really talk to and feel like myself with besides my Gran."

"Sookie, would you mind telling me who it was that died in the war that makes you so sad? I don't mean to pry. If you don't want to talk about it, then I will respect your wishes, but I really am a good listener." He lightly squeezed my hand and had a look on his face of genuine concern. I didn't want to talk with Eric about this, or at least not yet. But Eric had just shared private, revealing information and in way, made himself vulnerable to me. What did Gran always say to me - 'give a little, take a little'?

Softly, I gave of myself to Eric. "Sam, was my fiancé. We were supposed to get married a year ago this past spring. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. There isn't anything else to really say." And there wasn't. I had just told Eric about Sam without a shed of a tear. My eyes felt moist, but that was it. I was proud of myself for being able to talk about Sam with essentially a stranger and I also had to admit that it felt good being able to talk about it and share this with Eric. I don't think I would have wanted to share so openly with anyone else, but with Eric I felt safe.

"I'm so sorry," Eric said as he let go of my hand and drew me into his broad arms. He caught me off guard with his sudden movements. Slowly I reciprocated the gesture and placed my hands on his back. Was his whole body made of muscle? Everywhere I felt - albeit, it wasn't many places - had been tight and expansive. The smell of him was delectable. He smelled like a combination of faint aftershave and man. Was that even a smell? After being around just my Gran for so long, I decided that was. I felt peaceful in his embrace and let myself go, clinging to him, wanting this feeling to stay with me always. I heard him smell my hair and I smiled. Maybe I was having the same effect on him as he was on me? "Thank you for sharing with me, Sookie," he emphatically stated as he pulled away. The air felt cool at the loss of his body heat and I wanted nothing more than to drag him back into my arms.

"I guess I should get back to downstairs," I hesitantly said.

"As much as I don't want you to go, you're probably right."

I wanted to verbally agree, but decided it would be best not to. I made my way to the door and began to reopen it. Just before I walked out I turned back to Eric. "Thank you so much for this. I think this was the best lunch I've ever had".

"Anytime Sookie," he responded with a smile and a wink. With that I turned and headed back downstairs.


So what do you think? Do you think Sookie might be starting to feel something for our Eric? *giggles*