Thank you all so much for the reviews, I really enjoy reading them! To answer VAlady's question, this will definitely be a Godric/Sookie/Eric story, though I'm a little unsure of whether Eric and Sookie should also get together (with Godric's blessing of course) or if their relationship should remain platonic. Please let me know what you think, because right now it could go either way. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The moment my lips touched Godric's wrist I felt calm. If there was anything to be done about my situation, Godric would be the one to do it. And if not, then at least I got to see him one last time. I sucked at the wound slowly at first, but the more I swallowed the more I wanted. It tasted amazing, sweet and mild. The pain subsided as I drank and I started feeling better almost right away. Godric was stroking my hair with his free hand, looking at me with a small smile.

"Drink as much as you need, Sweetheart. You'll be fine, I promise."

After a few minutes I stopped drinking and he picked me up and carried me over to the car. Eric was in the driver seat. He turned around to look at me as Godric helped me into the back seat.

"Sookie, Sookie – you're so much trouble," he said. There was a big smirk on his face and he didn't look like he really minded.

"Sorry, Eric. Thanks for coming to get me," I said.

"Anytime, Miss Stackhouse, anytime," he chuckled and started the car.

Godric put his arm around me and I felt so safe and loved. I hadn't felt like this since I was a little girl, since before my parents died.

"Thank you," I whispered to Godric. "Thank you for saving my life." Godric just smiled and leaned down to kiss me.

I spent the rest of the long drive to Shreveport drifting in and out of sleep. At some point I thought I heard some strange noises coming from the trunk of the car, but before I could figure out what it was I was out again.

When I woke up the next day I was laying next to Godric in his bed. He was still out for the day. I was wearing Godric's t-shirt, which made me smile. I loved having his scent on me. I was feeling so much better, thanks to him. Last night I'd been dying and today I felt stronger and healthier than ever. It was amazing!

I was working again today, but before I'd fallen asleep last night Godric had made me promise not to go home while he was still dead for the day. I thought he was being a bit overprotective, but I would do as he asked anyway. It would be stupid not to listen to him, he'd managed to stay alive for 2000 years, so his survival instincts must be pretty good.

I looked around the room and could see my clothes and my purse on a chair in the corner. Godric must have found it last night and brought it home with us. I was silently thanking my wonderful boyfriend for yet another thoughtful act. If I'd lost my purse I would have had to cancel my card and change the locks of my house. Godric had just saved me a lot of trouble. Not to mention my life.

I got out of bed and went over to my purse, hoping that Godric had found my phone too. It had been knocked out of my hand when the Rats hit me, but it couldn't have fallen too far from my purse. I rifled around in it for a while and finally I found it. I dialled Arlene's number, mentally preparing myself for begging her to take my shift. She had the day off today, so she wouldn't be happy, but I was always covering for her so if I asked really nicely she would say yes.

"Hey Arlene, how are you? Listen, I need to ask you for a favor."

"You want me to take your shift?" she asked. Sometimes I wondered if I was really the only telepath around.

"Yes," I said " I didn't get home last night and I.."

"Oh, Sookie, finally! How was it?" Arlene squealed into the phone.

"What do you mean?"

"Bill, how was he? Is it true that vampires are better lovers? Not that you have anyone to compare him to, but how was it?"

Ok, this was weird. Why would she think I had slept with Bill?

"Arlene, no. I didn't. Eww. I barely know Bill. Why would you even think that?"

"He left right after you. Was in a real hurry to pay his bill and leave. I figured it was because he wanted to catch up with you. Sookie, everyone knows he has a thing for you. So when you said you weren't home last night, I figured you spent the night at Bill's."

I told Arlene I was in Shreveport and I didn't have my car. I didn't go into what happened last night and though she was really curious she didn't press me on it. She agreed to take my shift and I thanked her profusely, another good word of the day.

I hung up the phone and got back into bed next to Godric. I looked at him sleeping and I couldn't help but smile. He looked so peaceful and so sweet. Just like the first night I had woken up next to him, I couldn't resist kissing him. I leaned over him and kissed first his left cheek and then his right.

I just lingered there, enjoying being so close to him. Finally I moved my lips over his and I kissed him. I loved the feel of his lips, they were so soft. I was getting lost in the wonderful feeling of being close to Godric, when suddenly he opened his eyes. He smiled that big beautiful smile of his and I blushed.

"Ah sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to...," I mumbled, all embarrassed.

"Sookie, I can't imagine a more beautiful sight to wake up to." He put his arms around me and pulled me closer to him. We lay like that for a few minutes, cuddling and kissing. It was such a wonderful feeling, I could stay like this the whole night.

"Sookie, I need to tell you something. About my blood. You need to know how it will affect you." I nodded and snuggled closer to him.

"Having my blood in you means that I can sense where you are from far away. If you are ever in trouble I can find you quickly."

Well, considering how much trouble I'd been in lately that sure could come in handy.

"I will also be able to feel your emotions," Godric said, looking at me cautiously.

"Really? You can tell what I'm feeling?"

He nodded.

"So what am I feeling?"

"Just now, surprise. But mostly contentment. And something else," he said and brushed a few strands of hair from my face.

Oh. I blushed furiously. I couldn't help it, kissing him had gotten me all excited and now he knew. Just because I'd never done it before didn't mean I didn't have urges. Trust me, I have urges. Especially around Godric.

"Don't be embarassed, Sookie. It's completely natural. And I'm very flattered you feel that way. I feel that way too," he smiled.

"Oh. Really? Wow.." Yup. Eloquent Sookie strikes again.

Godric chuckled and I decided to change the subject quickly.

"I don't have to go to work after all," I told him. "I called Arlene and she'll cover for me. But she said something that made me think. She said that Bill left Merlotte's right after me. If he did, how come the Rats managed to beat on me for so long? Wouldn't he have seen it right away and helped me? Where was he?"

"Bill is a procurer," Godric said quietly. He must have seen from my expression that I had no idea what that meant or how that answered my questions because he continued quickly. "He works for the Queen."

I knew about Sophie-Ann, the Queen of Louisiana from one of our many talks. Godric had told me about the vampire hierarchy and about their rules and customs. He thought that since I spent so much time with him it was important that I know about how his world worked.

"What does a procurer do?" I asked him, temporarily side-tracked from my own line of thought about Bill.

"He gets the Queen whatever she wants," Godric answered.

"So he's like a personal shopper for Sophie-Ann?" I asked him and giggled. I could just picture Bill picking out ball-gowns and matching shoes and purses for the Queen.

"Not exactly," Godric said and looked me apprehensively. "He procures humans".

Oh. I really didn't like sound of that.

"Procures humans? For what?"

"Mostly meals. Before the great revelation this was important task, since it was crucial to not attract too much attention. One had to be careful that not too many people disappeared from one place at the same time, which would be difficult when the Queen was hosting events and needed many humans at once. Nowadays I would think it's much easier, since there are many willing humans. But he still has to screen them for diseases and taste, I imagine."

But of course. The Queen of Louisiana wouldn't want to snack on just any old human.

Godric was just looking at me, waiting for it to sink it. Oh. Oh!

"Wait, what? You think that's why he's been so friendly with me? He wants to procure me for the Queen?"

I was livid. That conniving son of a bitch! He was going to feed me to the Queen the way people feed live mice to their pet snakes. Well, this mouse wasn't having any of that.

"How? How would a procurer go about getting a human?" I asked Godric. I had a hunch and it was a really bad one.

"With a willing blood donor, he would only need to make practical arrangements like compensation and screening of the blood. For someone much more valuable like you, I imagine he would choose a different approach. Especially since you can't be glamoured."

Godric paused for a moment, looking at me intently. His expression didn't change, but I realized something was different about him. When he continued, his voice was strained.

"He would probably befriend you, get close to you. He would find a way to bind you to him. He would most likely try to get his blood in you. First he would try to do it voluntarily, through lovemaking most likely. If that didn't work he would find another way."

"Like letting me get beaten within an inch of my life, then pretending to save me?"

"Yes."

I knew it! That bastard!

"I saw someone in the shadows while the Rats were beating me. I couldn't see who it was and I figured I was just imagining it. But now with what Arlene said and what you just told me, I think it was Bill."

"Yes. I think so too, Sookie."

I had to take a deep breath to calm myself. I was so mad, there were tears running down my face.

"He set me up. He allowed himself to be subdued by the Rats so that I would save him, knowing that they would be furious and would try to get revenge later. He let me almost die so that he could get his blood in me!"

Godric nodded. The calm that always radiated from him was gone. I realized he was just as furious as I was.

I got up and started gathering my clothes in a rage. They were bloody and dirty and gross, so I wasn't looking forward to putting them back on. But I had more important things to do than worry about my appearance.

"Sookie, where are you going?"

"I'm going to Bon Temps, that's where I'm going. I'm going to give Bill Compton a piece of my mind!"

"Sookie, wait. There is more." Godric said. He took my clothes away and led me back to the bed.

"There is more? That's just great," I fumed, but I sat down next to him.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that he came for you. Why would he come all the way to Bon Temps for a blood donor, when there are many willing donors in New Orleans?" He was still holding my hand, stroking it gently, trying to calm me.

"I don't think that's why the Queen wants you. I think she wants you for your telepathy."

"It doesn't matter why she wants me, it only matters that that horrid man has been skulking around Bon Temps for weeks, being all nice to me when all he wants is to deliver me to the Queen!"

"It does matter, Sookie. It matters because it means that she knows about your gift."

Oh. Good point. How the hell does the vampire queen of Louisiana know about a telepathic waitress in Bon Temps?

"And if she knows, others might know too. You could be in grave danger, Sookie. Telepaths are very rare. Having one in one's employ would be highly useful."

"Well, she can forget it. If she couldn't just ask me nicely if I wanted to work for her then she can just forget it." I huffed.

"Sookie, it doesn't work like that." Godric looked at me like he was about to tell me that my kitten had just died.

"The Queen doesn't ask nicely. She could just take you, threaten your family and friends if you didn't cooperate. She could bind you to her by blood. And she could turn you, make you her vampire child. Then you would not be able to disobey her. And she would have you forever. So for now, it would be best if you stayed here. Returning to Bon Temps could be dangerous."

"And you won't find Compton in Bon Temps anyway," I heard a voice say from behind me and I turned around. Eric had somehow managed to come into the room without a sound and now he was leaning against the wall, the picture of nonchalance.

"I gave him to Pam to play with. She's been complaining lately about the lack of violence in her life. Compton should keep her entertained for a while."

I really didn't want to think about what that meant.

"Godric, it's obvious what you have to do," Eric continued.

I looked from one vampire to another. Godric was scowling, which was not a look I'd seen on his face before. Eric looked unrepentant.

"What? What should he do? Tell me," I demanded.

"Leave us," Godric said and Eric sauntered out of the room.