I wasn't actually too confident that Eric would follow me, but I managed to get all the way up the stairs without checking and was on the top step when I felt his hand snake up my leg on the inside of the blanket. I skittered away from him and hissed "What are you doing? We have company!"

Entering our bedroom Eric flopped on the bed and stretched out across it. He was still only wearing jeans and I knew there wasn't anything under them either. I felt a little warmer for a second, but I cooled off real fast when he commented, "It's just Bill." Like we had company from Louisiana every single day. Not like we'd been on the run for three years. I didn't keep my clothes in here since this room had light-tight steel shutters all that was in here were pajamas and lingerie. I reached into my drawer and pulled out a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a hoodie and began putting my hair in a ponytail. "What's he doing here?" I asked Eric more than a little perplexed – word of the day – by Eric's nonchalance. Nonchalance had not been a word of the day but it had been in Wuthering Heights, a book that Eric hated. He thought Heathcliff was an ass, not for the reasons that most people thought, but because he didn't do more to get Cathy back. When I asked him what he would have done he'd said in a serious and really sexy voice, "Do you not know what I would have done to take the woman I wanted from another man?"

We hadn't touched Wuthering Heights since, but every time I remembered the night he'd said that I felt a blush rising.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly. He sounded almost worried and then I realized he thought I was remembering something with Bill. It made it easy to feel tender toward him.

"Wuthering Heights," I said softly. I knew that there was sex slipping into my voice and wanted to give myself a small shake or possibly smack upside the head. Eric reached out and grabbed me around the waist pulling me down next to him on the bed. I landed a little harder than I think either of us had anticipated and heard the bed springs moan – wonderful. I could only imagine what Bill was thinking downstairs. Eric rolled on top of me and kissed me deeply. "Let's tell Bill to come back tomorrow," he whispered kissing my eyes and…oh lord, not my ears.

I cleared my throat and tried to stay very still. I knew from experience that wriggling trying to get away didn't work out well. "We have to work tomorrow," I pointed out, but to my own ears my voice sounded hoarse.

To my surprise, Eric rose with a fluid grace without another word of protest and extended a hand to me to help me up off the bed. And then he leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "I would have done more," he said softly. I guess I looked confused because he clarified. "To win you away from Bill. I would have done anything."

I knew he meant that literally. When a vampire says they would do anything they mean it, no hyperbole. I thought my knees would go weak, but because he's Eric he finished it with, "Fortunately for me you are much more intelligent than that selfish little slut Cathy and knew the better man when you saw him."

He was out of the bedroom and starting down the stairs and I found myself having to quickstep in order to keep up. "You really know how to sweet talk a girl," I sniped.

"Yes," he replied as we entered the living room. "I've always been known for that. It was a compliment, I did call you intelligent."

I snorted as we entered the living room and asked Bill to come into the kitchen. Eric had already gone ahead. I wondered what we must seem like to Bill after three years. When I entered the kitchen I was a little surprised to find Eric sitting at the head of the kitchen table. He didn't usually sit there and in fact, he usually didn't sit until I did. As he indicated to Bill that he should sit as well, I looked at Eric's face and saw someone I hadn't seen in three years, the Sheriff of Area Five was sitting in my kitchen looking at me expectantly.

Well, there was a man I hadn't seen in several years. I wasn't really certain that I missed him, but I'd become a lot more practical in the last three years. If Louisiana and all her problems had come calling I suppose that the person that was needed was Eric the Sheriff, not Eric the ski bum who had basically taken a three-year extended honeymoon with his human mate. Suddenly, I had the feeling that the piper needed to get paid.

I popped two bottles of O positive in the microwave and handed them to the guys at the ding.

"So what brings you out here Bill?" I asked since Eric either already knew or wasn't planning on asking. I kind of figured that Eric had always kind of kept an ear open as to what was going on, but I didn't know how he did it and I didn't bother to keep track of it. He shared what he chose, which was mostly little tidbits about Pam's social life or complete lack of business acumen. It wasn't that I'd suddenly had a personality change, it was just that it didn't really affect me directly anymore so I was able to hear about Pam the way another husband might share gossip about his still single sister.

Bill turned to Eric with a smug look and replied, "You mean Eric hasn't told you?"

Now I was grining like an idiot looking from Eric to Bill. I got what Bill was implying like I've said, I'm no fool. But I really didn't think that Eric would keep anything from me that was important.

"They're asking for your return," Bill stated like I knew what that meant.

"Who is?" I replied starting to get a little snappish. I mean hell, it was late and I was tired and just not in the mood to dance in verbal circles with a damn vampire, especially one I wasn't even in love with.

"Felipe De Castro has bargained with the FBI and they would like you to return. You would stay in Louisiana under our protection. They need your services. Supes are disappearing all over Louisiana."

I cut my eyes to Eric. Why wouldn't he tell me this?

"Pam called me early this evening," he replied to my unspoken upbraiding. "I was going to discuss it with you and call her back, but then Bill arrived."

"You forgot to discuss it with me," I pointed out.

He smiled unapologetic. "You distracted me."

I rolled my eyes in return, "With what the smell of stale beer and burgers."

He reached out and pulled me from my chair into his lap and ran a fang along my shoulder. "All that talk of difficult college boys," he murmured.

A part of me wanted to smack him, but a part of me wanted…well, Bill was here so that part was going to have to wait. "What do you say lover," he continued murmuring softly into my shoulder, if Bill had been human he wouldn't have been able to hear any of this, but as it was I knew he was getting the full scoop no matter how interested he pretended to be in the label on the TrueBlood bottle. "Do you want to go home?" Eric asked softly.

Home. The word hit me like a ton of bricks. Jason. Sam. Tara. Pam. Amelia. Arlene…well, maybe not Arlene. Bon Temps. Hell yes, I wanted to go home. But there were about a million unanswered questions that I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"You are getting tired," Eric said firmly. "We can discuss it more tomorrow."

Bill's back went rigid. "The decision needs to be made quickly," he stated in his earnest voice. "The situation is quite serious."

Eric's eyebrows drew down as he fixed a serious glare on Bill. Now that was a look I hadn't seen in awhile. I hated that look. I wanted to smooth his eyebrows back into place with my fingers.

"Nothing needs to be decided tonight Compton," he all but growled.

"You are no longer Sheriff," Bill bit back just as angrily.

I felt Eric start to rise and knew that was my cue. I jumped off his lap like he'd just caught fire and smiled brightly. "Thanks for coming by and telling us all about this Bill." Bill looked confused and irritated. Eric looked like he might burst something from trying not to laugh. One thing I had learned about Eric over the years was that his default mood was actually pretty good. He enjoyed a good laugh and he found me extremely entertaining. I wasn't above taking advantage of any of that if it mean avoiding a fight. "It's a lot to consider and I have a lot of questions. Tell you what, I'm going to make a list and email you them by the time you rise tomorrow. You find out the answers and come on by the bar and we can talk about it after closing."

"The bar?" Bill repeatedly dumfound.

"That's right," I said firmly. "Check your email first thing when you rise and we'll have a list of questions that need answers before we make a move. I'm assuming you are authorized to make decisions for de Castro?"

"I'm not Sheriff, but I was asked to come as an emissary."

"Okay," I replied. I found it odd that Eric was saying nothing just watching the exchange like you'd watch a tennis match. I was waiting for him to do that fake quiet applauding they do.

"Who is Sheriff anyway?" I suddenly asked Eric. I'd never asked in three years. I didn't care.

"Pam," he replied lazily.

And all I could think was, well crap that answered one question, if we went back, we'd pretty much be back right where we were when we left. Wasn't that just peachy keen.