EPOV

"What do you want most of all?" I asked Sookie.

"I want to go home," she answered simply.

"I don't see how we can arrange that."

"Why can't I show up not remembering the last few days?" Sookie asked. "Do you still have my clothes?"

"Your clothes are in the garage." I hadn't gotten around to burning them yet. That was a little careless of me, with the whole parish looking for her. "You no longer look like you were in an accident."

"Rough me up a little bit," she countered, looking me in the eye. She was asking me to beat her?

"What do I get out of this?"

"I will come to Shreveport- or we can arrange somewhere to meet- once a week and you can drink my blood."

"For the rest of your life?" She swallowed uncomfortably.

"So long as I am healthy," Sookie responded after a brief pause.

"Not enough. I have an alternate plan. You will go back to your home for one month. After your near death experience, you will realize that living in a podunk town with your grandmother and waiting tables is not all you want from life. You will move to Shreveport and apply for a job at The Shamrock. You can sign up for a college class or two if you want. I will pay you well and even provide you with a home. And, of course, I will feed from you nightly."

Sookie did not look like she approved of my brilliant plan. "I think drinking from me weekly should be enough."

"Right now I can drink your blood nightly. I will not benefit from letting you go if I only see you weekly. With my plan you can alleviate the fears of your loved ones." I paused. I knew the fact that her Gran worried about her weighed on Sookie's mind. " Once you come to work for me, you can still have your own life. No one would need to know you were more than another employee – unless you want to be my lover as well," I finished with a smirk. She would want to be my lover soon. Women could not resist the Northman charm.

"No, thank you," she answered with a slight blush. She thought a few minutes. "So my options are one - stay here as your prisoner indefinitely, or two - spend a month tying up loose ends so I can move to Shreveport, work in your casino, and supply you nightly with blood. Any possibility of an option three?"

"If you can come up with something that involves me feeding from you nightly, I'm willing to listen. " Sookie just looked at me.

"I have some work to do. I will take my laptop to the office and you can think while you finish making your dinner."

Twenty minutes later she found me.

"Ok, lets do this." I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Give me my clothes, beat me up, and let me wander back to civilization. I want to go home tonight." I was surprised she agreed.

"Just to be clear, if I release you , you are promising to come to The Shamrock and apply for a job in one month. Part of your job will be to give me blood nightly." She nodded. "If you 'forget' I will find you."

"I don't doubt it," Sookie responded. "You will stay away form me for a month?"

"I will not contact you unless you fail to show four weeks from today. We can argue about your 'working contract' when the time comes." Sookie stuck out her hand to shake on our agreement. Vampires don't shake hands as a rule, but I didn't mind holding her hand. I may have held it a little longer than necessary.

"I will get your clothes." They were dry, but covered in mud and blood. I handed them to Sookie and she headed to the bathroom to put them on. When she walked back, I could feel her determination and resolve. I admired her courage.

She simply said "Ok" , closed her eyes, and braced herself for my first blow. I raised my hand and stroked her hair.

"My brave Sookie. Come, I have a better idea."