Sookie set the plate of food down in front of Alcide and gave him a brief smile. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Alcide replied.

His gaze lingered on her, as if he was debating saying more, and she quickly spoke up before he could. "I'll talk to you later, ok? It's a madhouse in here tonight."

Merlotte's wasn't busier than usual, but the last thing she wanted was a conversation with Alcide. After all, what could she really say to him? 'Sorry I killed your psychotic ex' didn't exactly sound very sincere. Not to mention the fact she wasn't sorry about Debbie. Not at all.

Sookie quickly hurried over to the table of new customers that Jessica had just seated, grateful for the distraction. She was in the midst of taking their order when there was a flurry of nervous excitement amongst the customers. Turning around, she realized exactly why people were suddenly tense. Tara had just entered Merlotte's, along with Pam and Eric.

The people of Bon Temps have never been kind to Tara. As a result, Tara had always treated them with equal disgust. Now that she was a vampire, her hostility had increased tenfold.

Tara as a new vampire would have made people anxious enough, but with Pam and Eric by her side – and the fear they instinctively evoked – people were downright terrified as hell.

Even though she had heard through the grapevine – Jessica – that Tara was working at Fangtasia now, this was the first time Sookie was seeing the three of them together; it was a shock to see them interacting with each other. Tara seemed extremely comfortable around Pam and Eric – like they had been lifelong friends – and it pissed Sookie off. It was selfish of her, she knew, but the idea of Tara quickly replacing her with others filled her with sadness. She still felt the hollow emptiness left behind by Tara's absence, but Tara didn't seem to share the feeling.

Tara briefly glimpsed at Sookie before directing her attention to the crowd of people that were gawking at her.

"I see the clientele hasn't gotten any better here," Tara remarked loudly while Pam chuckled.

"Now, now. Trailer trash need to have fun nights out as well," Pam snarked.

Hands in his pocket, Eric merely smiled and swaggered forward until he was standing in the middle of the room. Sookie couldn't help but notice he was purposely avoiding her gaze. Tara, however, gave her a hostile glance before continuing deriding everyone around her.

Sick of their cruel taunts, Sookie marched towards Eric. When she reached him, and he was finally forced to look at her, she found herself unable to speak or even breathe. The last time she had seen him he had held her in his arms, consoled her and kissed her tears away. She had felt horribly alone and hopeless until he'd reminded her in his own way she wasn't. Ever since that night she wondered how she could possibly stay away from Eric when she was so completely in love with him. But the moment she was reminded of Tara and all the other horrible things that had happened to the people she loved, Sookie was paralysed with fear, and her resolve to keep away from him returned with a vengeance.

Caught in his gaze - and with her guard temporarily down - she was suddenly bombarded with everyone's thoughts and fears which swiftly pulled her back to reality. Shaking herself out of it, she glared up at Eric. "Why are you here, Eric?"

"Is this how you greet all of your customers?"

"Just the ones that can't play nice," Sookie replied. "Tara and Pam are scaring people."

"And I'm not?" he sneered.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "We're busy. What do you want?"

"I have business with the shifter."

"Sam's not here."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He said he'll be gone for a while and left me in charge."

"You? Are you fucking kidding me?" Tara snickered from the other end of the room, obviously using her vampire hearing skills to use. "I can count on one hand how many times you've actually shown up for work."

"If you're that concerned, why don't you help out?" Sookie retorted, instantly regretting her harsh tone of voice.

"So you can feel superior when you order me around? I don't think so. Not anymore."

"What are you talking about, Tara? When have I ever done that?"

"How about the entire time I was fucking alive?" Tara yelled back.

"I've always treated you like family. You knowthat."

"Family? No wonder I ended up dead!"

"You bi-"

Before Sookie could even finish venting, Tara was suddenly in her face.

"Go ahead, say it," Tara dared, her fangs out.

"Ladies, no need to drudge up old memories," Eric said, stepping in between them. Despite the breezy smile on his face, Sookie could sense his irritation.

"Especially of the boring variety," Pam piped up, clearly annoyed.

"I think you guys need to leave," Alcide said, walking up behind Sookie.

"You do, do you?" Eric sneered.

"Aw, the good little dog is protecting his bitch."

Sookie slapped Tara across the face before she even realized what she was doing, and then all hell broke loose. People started screaming while Tara was about to rip into Sookie's neck and then suddenly Sookie was pushed to the floor and Tara thrown against the wall by Eric.

"Are you alright?" Alcide asked, hovering over her.

"I'm fine," Sookie replied, leaning on Alcide for support as she stood up.

She watched as Eric whispered quietly to Tara, anger evident in his features, before turning around to look at her. His lips were pursed into a thin line, and there was contempt in his face, and Sookie realized she desperately needed to get out of here.

"I need some air. Can you just make sure they leave?" she asked Alcide.

"Yes, of course."

Sookie rushed out of the dining area and through the kitchen before she finally ran outside via the back door. Gulping in the fresh air, she leaned against the wall and touched the sore spot in her neck where Tara had almost bitten her. Just thinking about how far her relationship with Tara had deteriorated made her sick. And knowing it was all her own fault intensified the guilt. She didn't blame Tara for hating her, how could she? Tara had died protecting herand instead of doing the right thing and honouring the memory of her best friend Sookie had been incredibly selfish and asked Bill to turn Tara into a vampire.

"Well, that was entertaining."

Sookie opened her eyes and glared at Eric as he casually sauntered over to where she was, stopping a few feet away from her.

"I want you to leave and take Pam and Tara with you."

"We all want things, Sookie. Doesn't mean we get them."

Eric was trying to provoke her into an argument, and although she was incredibly pissed she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "What do you want with Sam?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business."

"You better not hurt him or-"

"Or what?" he interjected, levelling her with a hard stare. "What will you do you haven't done already?"

She felt the pain behind his words even as he remained cold and distant with her. A part of her wanted to reach out to him, but she didn't. She couldn't. "Why did you bring Tara here?"

"Because she was ready to confront her old life."

"Ready? She's angry and pissed off!"

"What else is new?" Eric countered. "The sooner she leaves behind her old self, the quicker she'll adapt to her new one."

"Looks like she's already halfway there," Sookie muttered bitterly and instantly felt guilty for doing so. Especially when Eric quirked his eyebrow and confronted her about it.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't that why you came to me?" he reminded her. "Or were you hoping I would tell her to forgive you and beg for your friendship back? And maybe then the two of you could go back to having petty arguments while braiding each other's hair?"

"Go to hell!" she raged, attempting to walk away when he used his vamp speed to stop her. His fingers gripped around her elbow, and he pulled her close against him. "Let me go, you bastard!" she gritted through clenched teeth.

"You don't like it that she's moving on from you, do you?" he sneered, holding on to her tightly while she struggled against him. "And you hatethat she's doing it with me," he said with relish.

"I hate you!" she raged and struck him across the face – which had no effect on him.

"She's quite feisty. And you may be surprised to find out she doesn't mind being tied up for hours," he taunted, smiling cruelly. "Actually, she loves it."

Images of Eric and Tara together flashed through Sookie's brain and whatever control she did possess dissolved instantly. "Are you fucking her?" she demanded, gripping the lapels of his leather jacket. There were tears streaming down her face but she was past the point of keeping up her uncaring facade. The thought of Eric sleeping with Tara made her want to wretch and in turn Sookie wanted to hurt himthe way he was hurting her. "Are you?" she asked again.

"And what if I am?"

"Fuck you!" she screamed over and over again, simultaneously slapping him, attempting to push him away and digging her fingernails into him as he continued to hold on to her tightly.

"You expect me to be loyal even though you don't want anything to do with me?" he raged back. "I'm not Bill, and I'm not like your precious little bitch in there!" No longer cold and aloof, his eyes sparkled with fury as he threw Alcide in her face.

Then, while she continued to pound her fists into his chest, he grabbed her and kissed her so roughly she felt her bottom lip start to bleed. She returned his kiss with equal fervour, determined to hurt him the way he did her.

Eric always kissed her with such desperation, as if he was dying and she was his only salvation. Fisting her hair he pushed her against the wall, and she clung to him as hard as she could. She wanted to remind him that he was hers, that she possessed him as much as he did her, and if he thought he could just forget her by fucking her best friend he was wrong.

Tearing himself away from her, he stared into her eyes while his hand slid down between her legs, stroking her over her shorts. "I didn't," he said hoarsely. "I could have fucked her, but I didn't."

Relief surged through her immediately, and before she could talk herself out of it, she grasped his shirt and pulled him closer. "The thought of you with her...I..."

"I know," he moaned, grazing her temple with his lips.

"It tears me up," she continued, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Good."

Whatever reason she possessed at that moment disappeared when he undid the buttons of her shorts, slipped past her panties and slid his fingers inside.