FINALLY AN UPDATE!

I have made some announcements about this story via author notes in other fics and PMs. I will be putting in some kink, that might end up dominating the story. I've found a wonderful girl who helped me so much.

I'm still a bit nervous direction wise, so please review or PM with any criticism, tips, ideas, requests, or comments!

THANKS

I was actually able to sleep for a few hours since I didn't have any morning classes. I had a lecture at 2:00. I just managed to get in the door at 2:01pm. Eric and work were tiring me out big time.

In the middle of the lecture my phone buzzed, but I ignored it. It buzzed three more times before the professor finally dismissed us. The only person I could think of who would be that impatient was Eric, but he should have been dead to the world. I got up to leave and my phone buzzed again as I tried to fish it out of my pocket. I groaned and pulled it out before it went to voice mail. It was Sam.

"Hello?" I said cautiously, pressing the receive button.

"Dina, thank God!" Sam exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

What? Sam knows I go to school. I always make him move my shift around.

"I was in a class, Sam," I snapped at him. "What's the matter? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, cher," he said in a calmer voice. "I know it's your day off, but do you think you can come in tonight? Arlene's boy fell out of a tree and broke his wrist, and Danielle called in sick. Sookie's gone out of town somewhere with Bill. I can't reach anybody else!" He sounded desperate.

I felt bad for snapping at him. but didn't know if I could come in. I was torn. Eric was trying to come over tonight, but he'd said he would be late if he did. I didn't know how late, though. After Eric's reaction the first day that I'd been working when he expected me to be waiting for him, I didn't want it to happen again. I wished I didn't tell him I'd be at home before he left.

"Sam, I'm seeing Eric tonight," I told him firmly. "I can't break my date with him." Well, I could, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to have to tell my darling Viking that I was waiting tables at a bar while he was at my house looking for me. I didn't fear him, but wondered if he'd forget about his strength when he slammed my delicate front door.

I heard Sam sigh in frustration. "Well, what time are you seeing Eric? I wouldn't ask, but I'm desperate here!"

That was a good question. Late. Eric was supposed to be at Fangtasia taking care of Vampire business for most of the evening. My shoulders slumped in defeat. Sam was a good boss; I couldn't let him down.

"Sam, I can come in until, maybe, 10:00, but then I have to go!" Sam knew how Eric was. I think he'd respond with anger instead of sympathy. He wasn't a fanatic, but defiantly wanted vampires to stay to their own.

"Oh, thank you Dina!" I had never heard Sam sound so relieved. "Can you be here by six?"

I looked at my ipod's clock. I stopped before I swore. If I ran my tush as fast as I could, I'd be there on time. My uniform was at home and I didn't eat anything but half an oat and honey bar. He'd better give me a break with some real food tonight!

"I'm at the school. I'll do my best but I don't have my uniform with me so I have to stop at home."

And make a phone call, and send a text to what I hoped would not be a very angry vampire. I love these days.

I almost missed my turn on the way home so concerned with getting there and worrying about Eric. Was it healthy for me to worry so much over what my…special vampire thought?

And did I want to call him that? What did I call him? boyfriend?

Great, I'm getting a migraine.

I stripped as I walked through the door and found my uniform hanging up on my closet door. I changed in record time. I pulled my hair up into a high pony tail to keep it off my neck. Thank god I wasn't marked tonight.

I almost forgot about Eric. Just as I started my car, I remembered. I typed a short text to him.

"Goin 2 work- Emergency- Should b off by 10."

Then, just to be sure, I dialed Eric's cell phone and left him basically the same message. He couldn't say that I didn't tell him and hopefully he would be busy until after I could get home and take a shower. Then I could take the time to obsess about my reaction to going to work tonight…and how much I was missing him…

It turned out to be one of those freak nights when everybody in town has the same idea and ends up at the same place. Merlotte's was packed and we were slammed. The other two waitresses were floaters and more hindrance than help. Tara eventually took pity on me and came out from behind the bar to take a few orders. Tara doesn't do pity well and I tried to intercept a few tables from her, before someone pissed her off. I swear if there was one fight, I was just going to go home.

On my way to take a bottle of hot sauce to Andy Bellefleur, out of the corner of my eye I saw the Fellowship jerks walk in. I cringed but forced myself to smile. I spent an extra minute I really didn't have to spare, at Andy's table. I caught them in my 'perif' the whole time. Thankfully, they didn't sit in my section and I ignored them for the rest of the night.

It was nearing 10:15 when I finally got a minute to myself. I was running late and was beginning to get tired. I was also getting annoyed with everyone. I went to the bathroom and took my sweet time.

I was hoping against hope that Eric was still busy being Mr. Sheriff in Shreveport. My phone hadn't buzzed all night so I thought he must still be busy. Or really mad at me.

I came out of the ladies' room only to come face to face with one of the FOTS creeps. He was about 6' tall with dark brown hair and narrow eyes that made him look mean. He was wearing a bright gold T-shirt with the Fellowship logo on the front, and the slogan "Praise his light." He had big beefy arms and obviously worked out. He had also had a few to drink judging by his stench. For working in a bar, I sure hated beer. I decided to give him a wide berth, thinking he was headed for the men's room.

As I tried to pass him, suddenly he shoved me into the little alcove where the pay phones were, pinning my body against the wall and clamping his sweaty hand over my mouth. Instinctively I screamed and pushed against him, but he was much bigger and stronger than me. Nobody heard me over the jukebox and the rowdy crowd in the bar. Remembering my self defense course, I stomped hard on his foot and tried to knee him in the nuts. 1-2-3. NO, hit, NO

He caught my knee with the hand that wasn't clamped over my mouth and held on to it, pushing harder against me. I kept struggling. I was trying not to panic and follow all the advice from my class and family about how to get away. How the hell was no one noticing this?

"You fucking fang banging cunt!" he said in a quiet, deadly voice. "Too good for a real flesh and blood man. I bet you're as cold as he is."

Still holding my knee with his hand, he forced it out to the side, effectively spreading me wide, and ground himself against me. I could feel his hardness through his jeans and knew then what he wanted to do. I started to feel sick. I pushed back at him as hard as I could, staring daggers at him. He laughed and leaned in close to me. His breath stank of Bud and cigarettes. He was disgusting.

I'd probably been a little more than 5 minutes. God, for all the times to have no one to call me incessantly! It felt like forever as he kept touching me.

I cringed back away from him as his hand began to make its way from my knee upward.

"I'm gonna show you what a real man feels like, you bitch! You won't want that dead fucker no more once you had something like me!"

His hand had made it all the way up my thigh and his fingers were inside my uniform shorts, about to invade me. I was scared and mad and felt so fucking helpless. I screamed as loud as I could even though I knew nobody could hear me, and he tried to kiss me while his fingers wormed their way into my most private area. All I could think about was that he was touching me where Eric had marked me. Eric. Think of Eric.

I wish I had stayed home. I wanted to be with Eric right now.

I closed my eyes to blink away tears and search for some magic amount of strength to knock him away. But before I could push him, I was free.

Through wide eyes I stared up at six foot five inches of majorly pissed off vampire. He had my molester held three feet off the ground by his neck. His fangs were bared and his eyes were blazing.

"Eric, oh my God, Eric!" I shrieked and tried to go to him. He took my arm and held me away from him while with the other hand he was slowly suffocating the Fellowship perv, whose eyes were bulging as he clawed at Eric's hand and kicked his feet, trying to get free.

"Are you in the habit of touching what is not yours?" Eric questioned the man in a voice dripping with malice. He didn't really want an answer; he went on. "How does it feel to be powerless, knowing your life is no longer in your hands, as you made her feel?"

The man's face was turning redder and redder, and I knew he wouldn't last much longer.

"Eric! Eric!" I shook the arm he was using to hold me away from him, trying to get his attention. "Eric, you can't kill him! Stop! Please, Eric! I don't want you to go to jail!" I was screaming at him, frantic. At this moment, I think I wanted the prick dead though. I didn't want to be forgiving or be a good jr. hippie. I wanted him to suffer. I was starting to feel light headed and overwhelmed.

Eric had to stop though. There was a lot of anti-vampire bias. They'd fry him.

Sam ran around the corner from the bar, finally having heard the commotion. He froze at the sight of Eric.

What if Eric wouldn't have come? Would Sam be pulling the fundie off me right now?

I shuddered.

Something in my voice must have gotten through to Eric because he turned his head to look at me. His expression was still deadly and I knew he was a predator. And then his face softened a tiny bit.

"You do not want me to kill the man who was about to violate you?" He hissed at me.

"Please, Eric, don't kill him! They'll take you away from me if you do! He deserves it but please, please don't!" Tears were streaming down my face and I was pleading with him. "I want you to take me home. Please!"

Without preamble, he dropped the man to the ground and pulled me close to him. The fucker passed out but was still breathing. He was alive. I clung to Eric, shaking and crying.

Sam stood blocking the hallway, staring with wide eyes and saying nothing. Then Eric turned his deadly gaze to Sam. "Shifter, is this how you run your establishment? You let your waitresses be nearly raped by fanatics?"

Sam straightened his back and looked indignantly at Eric.

"I was in the cooler moving things around. I didn't hear anything until I came back out here and found you. What the hell happened?"

Laffayette came walking back and repeated what Sam had said.

"What the hell is going on up in here?"

"Laffayette, please go and keep everyone away from here. We are handling it."

He looked at me with a worried expression. He was wary of Eric, but backed away when he saw how tightly I was holding him. He nodded and turned away. I think I heard him mumble something about 'craziness'

Both men turned to look at me, awaiting my answer of their previous question. Haltingly, I explained everything that had happened.

Sam started to come forward. "I'm sorry, cher, I…" He had to stop because Eric had grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Do not speak to her!" he thundered. "This is unacceptable. There is no excuse for what just happened here! She will not be coming back here, ever. Find a replacement. And I will talk to Bill about Sookie working here as well."

He let go of Sam's shirt and shoved him back hard enough to slam against the wall but not hurt him. I was about to defend him, but Sam didn't know when to let up…

"Wait a minute, Eric…" Sam started to say, but Eric leveled him with another deadly gaze. Sam finally got the message.

I didn't like him quitting for me. I was a grown woman and he couldn't do that. I also needed the job. Sam was a good boss and a good man – this was the fault of those demented bastards ; specifically the one who attacked me.

But right now, I wanted to leave. I wanted to calm down.

I was still clinging to Eric, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist, my head buried in his chest. I knew I was safe now. Eric held me and with the other hand pulled out his cell phone. Seconds later, he was speaking urgently into it, in a language I didn't understand. He ended the call and pocketed the phone.

Eric turned back to Sam. "Take him," and he kicked the unconscious FOTS fool in the shin hard enough to break his leg, "back into the restroom and lock the door. Do not let anyone in. I have sent for someone who will clean up this mess. They will be here within the hour."

I cringed when Eric broke his leg, but I didn't let go of him. I pulled him closer.

"You just expect me to drop everything and…." Sam started to say.

Suddenly Eric was an inch in front of Sam's face, fangs bared.

"Do not provoke me further! You have irresponsibly endangered the life of my woman by allowing those fanatics to socialize here! You allowed one of them to force himself upon her. Yes, I expect you to deal with this. It is your fault. You are lucky that I will allow you to live through this night!"

Sam looked fearful. I didn't want to have to reign him in. I didn't want that responsibility. I was trying so hard to not just collapse on the floor. This night was hell.

Then, Eric turned back to me, and his eyes were soft. He gently pulled me forward and kissed my head, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Come, little one. We are going," he said quietly.

He lifted me into his arms and walked out the back door with me. Only then did I notice that the back door had been torn from its hinges.

My jaw dropped and I looked incredulously into Eric's eyes.

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. "I needed to get to you."

"And you did," I said still shocked. "Thank you. Were you waiting for me?"

"Later, Lover," he told me. "We will talk about it later. Now, hold on tight."

"What?" I started to say, and then we took to the air.