The next two days passed by with Amelia and I doing a very good job of avoiding each other. I left very early and came back after working the late shift and she did her best to stay in her room at the times I'll be home. She even listens to music so there's no particular thought in her head when I get home and I did my best to shield. I really don't want to know more about Eric and Amelia. It's bad enough to find out the way I did, I don't want to be tortured by the details.

I busied myself with looking up books in the library to see what I can do for Hunter. It's interesting where one finds inspiration. There was a book on potty training techniques for toddlers that was particularly applicable to helping him start to build a shield around other people's thoughts. Taking him to a playground where there's other children may be a good place for him to practice shielding for school. Trying to stay away from home gives a person a lot spare time so I had the time to write down what type of games to play with Hunter and notes to Remy about what they can achieve at the library. I even got around to visiting Tara at her shop. She's in her second trimester now and glowing. I've never seen her so happy. JB was stopping by to check on her and deliver her latest craving for ice cream. I have to admit I was hit with a pang of jealousy. Not only because I don't have a boyfriend, but it really struck a chord that I'll never be able to start a family even if I did. The loving husband stopping by to give me a kiss and talk to our unborn child would not happen if I stayed with Eric. Must look more into dating supes. At least I'll be able to have children with them. Come to think of it. How would Eric and I get "unbound" with the whole ceremonial knife thing? I guess the Sheriff will let me know if he needs me involved in the unbinding process.

Things were crazy at Merlottes tonight. Our high school won an at home game and everyone was out celebrating. Pitcher after pitcher of beer was ordered and Charlie ran out of fries to serve. One of the new girls Cynthia wasn't use to this pace had spilt beer twice and once even on a customer. I think they barely noticed. We stayed open way after closing and my feet felt like lead, but I stayed behind to put up the chairs and sweep up for Terry. It would be unfair that we get all the tips while he gets stuck with the extra dirty work. My ass got slapped a few more times than usual but the wad of tips compensated for that. I got home and jumped in the shower. When the relief of bed was in sight I saw a shadow looming at my window.

"Had a late night lover?"

"You should stop calling me that."

"Will you let me in?"

"Why don't you ask Amelia?"

"I'm here to see you." He held up a large scroll bound with leather laces. Looks like a very large document, maybe it's our divorce papers? Might as well get this over and done with.

"You can come in."

It never ceases to amaze me how agile and graceful vampires are. My window was a tight squeeze for Eric and it would lead to a comical scene like in Mr. Bean if a human his size attempted to come in through it, but Eric managed it with ease and grace.

"May I ask you what made you so upset a few nights ago?"

Oh! Puuuur-lease!

"You know full well what you did or doing! What's going on between you two! At least Amelia has the decency to be ashamed and avoid me! Who do you think you are traipsing along thinking you can just deny everything? You're not expecting a telepath who has a blood bond with you wouldn't find out would you?" My fists were clenched and tears were in the corner of my eyes. I tried not to blink. I am not going to cry in front of him!

Eric sat down on the edge of my bed, crossed his legs and looked at me with a smirk on his face. "Speaking of blood bond. What does it tell you? Do you feel that my heart is with another? Do you even feel surges of lust when you're not around me?"

Actually so far I haven't had an inkling about the affair until that night. I haven't had much experience with relationships since this is only my second one if you would call it that after Bill. But it's always a surprise when someone finds out someone's cheating on them, isn't it? It never occurred to me that I should have known. Not in the metaphoric sense but literally, because I'm not like everyone else.

"I saw what I saw."

"What did you see? What did you hear? Is the question I've been asking you all along. Anything taken out of context could be interpreted in a thousand ways. I've told you before the blood bond work both ways. I can't force you to do anything you don't want to, nor can I be dishonest to you. Now ask yourself, search within your heart whether you feel betrayal." Eric looked at me intently, it was that puppy dog expression I haven't seen since he spent that week with me last winter. I can feel the soft spot in my heart pulsating for him.

I climbed on top of my bed, laid flat relaxed all my defenses. Letting all the feelings and emotions flood my body. The first thing that came was the happiness I felt when Eric was close. Then I could sense Amelia asleep in her room. After that a feeling of being misunderstood, hoping for redemption, patience, wanting to touch and be close... Okay I don't feel any sense of infidelity but... "There's something you're not telling me." I said as I sat up. Damn straight. He's definitely keeping something from me.

His lips curved into a smirk as he unrolled the scroll in his hand and separated two large sheets of paper. Though Eric could see them perfectly in the dark, I couldn't make out what they were and had to turn on the lamp on my night stand. As my eyes adjusted I saw a whole lot of lines and grid paper.

One looked like a map, just like the ones in an atlas, the other was...

"Blueprints?"

"Yes lover."

"Of what?"

"Our nest." This made me conjure up images of insects and hexagonal shapes. He went on elaborate "See this map here? This piece of land belongs to me and I've gotten approval to clear a road from here-" he pointed to a spot on the map "- to Hummingbird Road and here to Harts Island Highway." I leaned in to take a closer look. Eric has, in effect cut a road across from Shreveport to my place. "I've brought Shreveport closer." His eyes were twinkling. I think this is as excited a thousand year old vampire could get. "And it was your idea to begin with." He added

"Wow. That's..." I'm really lost for words.

"And this spot right in the middle." he continued pointing to the map "is where the house is going to be. The foundations are already laid."

A house? Our nest? Our house?

"You and I can both be close to work in co-habitation, whilst you are still in the community you are accustomed to. You can even come back to this house whenever it suits you. It all works out."

Actually it does. I don't think I want to sell this house, but I can rent to borders if I wanted to. If the only thing that changes in my life is the address, I'm more willing to accept that. Eric won't be too far away from his business and workers. If anything were to go wrong our proximity will be much closer to each other than before, making it possible for us to be a (married? bound for life?) couple. He had made all of this possible and I'll be getting a much better deal in the compromise.

But I'm not a fool. Is that all I'm going to go by? A gut instinct that he hasn't been unfaithful and be dazzled by his actions? Mind you, an extremely thoughtful and a colossal gesture of love (though he never explicitly said so). It's totally against the grain to trust my feelings over something I've seen with my own eyes (through Amelia's eyes at least).

"Is that all you've been keeping secret from me?"

"I'll be honest and say, in part. There are some things I can't reveal yet. But lover, consider this; will I go to all this trouble for someone I don't hold in great esteem? You are very important to me and this is the first time in my existence that I've gone to such great lengths to cater for anyone, human or otherwise."

"What about that mirror on your ceiling? You said only Pam and I were invited to your house! Does that mean..." I know. I'm turning into a pouty, sulking girlfriend, but since I have him in a confiding mood I might as well get it out of my system.

"Lover. I placed that mirror up there for us. Aren't you at least curious? How sex with a blood bond as strong as ours would be like? Staring into your own eyes and seeing mine? Making love, looking into the depth of each other's soul..." His hands started unbuttoning my nightshirt and with both our excitement my nipples hardened so quickly, they ached, I longed for his tongue to massage them. His lips kissed the side of my neck, intentionally letting the tip of his fangs graze ever so lightly on my skin as he kissed his way to my collar bone.

All the anxiousness and sorrow I felt in the last few days slid away from my heart to be warmed by the golden ecstasy of Eric's want for me. I felt it melt away to be transformed into a gush of eroticism in my loins. It was at this point I knew I wanted to go with my instincts. Being with Eric is what feels right. The abandonment, the loss was all a facade, this is what's real.

My nightshirt was already on floor and Eric was massaging my left nipple with his tongue while fondling my right nipple with his thumb and index finger. I spread my legs with anticipation as I felt my panties were wet from all this stimulation. Eric looked up with a cheeky grin and ripped my panties off with one hand and slid his long fingers into me. He moved his lips back up to my face and his lips touched mine. His tongue rhythmically alternating with his finger until I could hardly catch my breath. Tears were on the corners of my eye as I about to come when all of the sudden -

A pain on my left thigh, shot me to a dim and dark abandoned house, flashes of knives and teeth - "Lover! Sookie! Look at me!" I realized I was squinting. Eric was shirtless leaning beside me with one hand grasping my shoulder. His belt buckle had scraped that God forsaken scar on my left thigh. "What took you away lover? You were in the moment and then you were just gone."

"Yeah... I'd hate to mention this now, but would you be able to try avoiding this part of my thigh?" I pointed at the skin colored custard horror on my leg.

"Is that where one fairies hurt you - bit you?" I nodded as I knew what Eric's question would be. What I should've known was not to ask a thousand year old Viking vampire not to do something... Because when I looked up at him Eric's pale face was livid.

"I will NOT let them possess a part of you! Damned fairies! How dare they haunt you even in death! Look at me lover." As I looked up at him he pressed the scar. The memory from the pain shot fear into my heart and made my insides squirm, at the same time Eric penetrated me - with vigor. I gasped at the shock as Eric's full size hit me to my limit, every time he plunged deep into me he would press hard on my scar. I shrieked as my mind and body felt like it was being torn to pieces. "Keep your eyes on me, don't go anywhere else" Eric said in a calm low tone and he started to massage my centre in the same rhythm as he touched the scar. I felt scared, like the first time I had sex yet I was in sheer ecstasy as I felt my climax build and with an explosion of senses I came and he released himself into me. I let out a weeping cry that lingered for God knows how long.

But Eric wasn't finished with me yet.

Lying there, still dazed and trying to gather myself, he started kissing me. As his tongue so artfully played in my mouth, he inserted his fingers into me again. "Oh Eric, I don't think I'm ready yet..."

"I can't stop now lover. This is your therapy." I smiled as I finally understood what Eric was trying to achieve. He would've made Freud proud. His lips departed mine and work their down to my centre, as his skillful tongue and fingers were working their magic , he placed his other hand on my scar again, this time kneading it gently at the same rhythm. I felt myself tighten in anticipation and on the verge of coming again. Eric looked up to make sure I was watching him. His fangs extended, he bit down hard and deep into the scar and drew blood. I let out a cry that also intensified my orgasm. I could see bursting pin pricks of light.

I'll prefer vampire therapy over the conventional type any day.