Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

June 2013 - Updated

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

"AHH!" Sookie let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Sookie Stackhouse! You there?" Andy yelled out before the darkness overtook him, as Bill knocked him out with a light punch to the back of his head. Before Andy hit the ground, Bill picked him up and sat him on the ground by his patrol car, ensuring his descendant would wake up tomorrow with only a headache.

Bill moved in vampire speed, hurriedly dressing himself with a Merlotte's warm-up and T-shirt. He rid himself of the blood-covered incriminating rock he hit Pam with by hurling it in the air. He dashed over to Sookie's side, praying Andy's silver bullets had struck Eric in the heart.

"Sookie, are you all right?" he asked in his Southern drawl.

"Bill, is that you?"

"Yes."

Sookie was having trouble breathing and tried lifting Eric up. "Someone shot Eric! Please help him, Bill! Please, I beg you. Help me lift him so I can give him my blood!"

"He will be fine, Sookie. Please calm down." Bill stood by, reluctant to lift a finger to help. He brought his gaze downward and looked behind him, unsure how to proceed.

"William Erasmus Compton! Help me!"

Hesitantly, Bill slid Eric off to the side, and picked up Eric's discarded shirt on the ground. "Wait here. I'm going to take Eric's shirt and dampen it, so you can clean up. I'll be right back." I'll see if I can find a wooden stake while I'm at it, too.

Sookie nodded and kissed the palm of Eric's hand. "Please, Eric, wake up." She looked behind her and saw the unconscious bodies of Pam and Andy Bellefleur, a gun resting by his side. She quickly surmised he was the one who must have shot Eric. But what happened to Pam?

A red flag waved frantically inside Sookie's mind. Everyone was down for the count except Bill, who just moments ago had been lying on the floor next to Pam—the same Pam who now had an injury to her head. Could he be responsible for what's happening? Only someone who's really fast could take Pam down.

Fear suddenly seized her, and she knew the only way she could get at the truth was if she read Bill's mind. Desperate for answers, she ingested what she could of Eric's blood from her chest, to find out if Bill was really behind Eric's shooting. As the red, thick substance slowly traveled down her throat, her body shuddered from the experience of such a rich flavor. She just hoped it was enough.

"Eric," she whispered to him, moving her hand down his back. She jumped upon hearing Bill call her.

"Sookie. Here, clean yourself with this." He handed her Eric's wet shirt. She stepped off the Corvette, and while she cleaned up, Bill turned Eric over on his back.

"Bill, can you please tell me what happened?"

"I don't know the exact details, Sookie, but I assume Andy Bellefleur shot Eric."

"You didn't see anything?" she asked him delicately.

"I was injured and recuperating on the floor, so no, I can't say that I did. I just remember hearing shots as I was coming to." Bill's gaze traveled down her body.

Sookie placed her arm protectively over her breasts and she took a step back, her feet brushing on Eric's leather jacket on the floor. She quickly grabbed it and put it on, cursing at Bill for being such a liar. While she zipped up the jacket, she tried delving into his mind, but all she came up was with a big, empty blank. "Bill, why hasn't Eric woken up?" she asked, shaking her hair loose from the jacket's collar.

"He was shot, Sookie. He will take some time to heal."

"No, I've been around Eric when he's been shot before, and he's never lost consciousness like this."

Sookie took Eric's shirt and wiped off the dried blood on his torso, and she could now clearly see two small holes in the middle of his chest. She squinted her eyes, trying to study him in the pale moonlight and discovered the skin around the bullet holes was unsuccessfully trying to seal shut. As she neared Eric to examine him closer, a burning smell came off his body. "Sweet Shepherd, his wounds aren't healing. What?" Her words caught in her throat. "Oh shit, Bill! Silver bullets! Eric's been shot with silver bullets!"

"Yes, I think you're right," he responded dryly.

"What do we do, Bill? Do we have to take them out?"

"Let me take you home, Sookie. I'll take care of Eric. I'll call a doctor."

"Take me home? What? I'm not leaving Eric, and a doctor? There's no time for that, Bill!" She paused briefly and startled Bill with her shouts. "I've got it! I'll be right back, okay? I have an idea. Don't touch him!" she yelled over at Bill while she ran inside the bar.

Bill muttered under his breath, "I wouldn't dream of it." Ensuring himself that Sookie was gone, Bill produced a knife made out of wood from his back pocket. He held it to Eric's chest. As Bill made the motion to drive the knife into his archrival's chest, Eric's hand suddenly came up and grabbed Bill by the throat, squeezing him tightly.

"You f-fucking c-coward . . . " Eric flung Bill to the ground with the last of his strength. Weakened by the silver poisoning his blood, Eric attempted to sit up, but a coughing fit held him back. He sputtered blood from his mouth and fell back onto the hood of the car. Clutching his chest in obvious pain, it took all of his strength not to scream.

"Oh, what's the matter, Sheriff? Got some silver on your tongue? Oh, no wait. It's more like stuck in your chest." Bill stood up.

"I p-p-promise, I'll . . . " Eric grasped his chest and widened his eyes, trying to control the wave of pain that seized him.

"Go ahead, don't hold it. Go ahead and scream," Bill taunted.

Eric stood up and walked toward him. "You're d-dead."

"Tell me something I don't already know." Bill picked up the knife and walked towards Eric again.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Sookie ran inside the bar, intent on getting some pliers, a knife, and a magnet to extract the bullets from Eric's chest, but when she walked in, a strange feeling overcame her, compelling her to go into the bathroom. She knew time was of the essence with Eric, and tried to resist, but she found herself obeying some mysterious call to go inside the Ladies' room.

Once inside, she stared at the mirror as if she was under a trance. She was about to wash her hands, and was surprised to see what looked like the container with Claudine's shower gel sitting on the sink. She opened it up and she took a sniff, confirming her suspicions.

What's happening to me? As if under a spell, she succumbed to a strange urge to clean herself with the body wash. She took off her clothes and sprayed water on herself, not caring if she made a mess on the floor.

When she was done, she was shocked to see her hair was intact, not even a strand was out of place. She put her apron and Eric's jacket back on. His cologne filled her senses and woke her up. What the hell am I doing? Eric's dying outside! What's wrong with me? I have to help him, not waste my time in here!

Thanks to Eric's blood, she quickly gathered the things she came in for and made her way outside. To her amazement, everything was just as she had left it, as if she had only taken a few seconds to go inside Merlotte's. Is this magic? Claudine, are you here?

She looked around, but couldn't find a trace of her cousin. "Bill?" she asked, seeing him stand above Eric threateningly. Just as she was about to curse out Bill and ask him what the hell he was doing, she saw Eric's eyes lock onto hers. "Eric, you woke up! Thank God!" She quickened her steps towards the two vampires, who immediately took in her scent and felt a soothing sensation overcome their senses.

Sookie wanted to throw her arms around the Viking, but stopped when she saw he was in pain. She covered her mouth and desperately tried not to cry. "Eric—"

"S-Sookie, where is P-Pam?" More blood sputtered out of his mouth.

Sookie couldn't stop her tears. "Oh, please, Eric. Try not to talk. She's unconscious. I don't know what happened to her." She turned to Bill. "I know I asked you before, Bill, but I can't recall what you said. What happened again?" She wondered what lie he'd come up with now.

"I hit her with a rock so she wouldn't stop Andy from shooting Eric." He let go of the knife in his hand. "I wanted Eric to die so you would come back to me," he added, as if he couldn't control himself from revealing the truth.

Sookie gasped, not expecting to hear Bill confess.

Eric weakly grabbed at him again, but Bill just flung Eric's arm away. "K-kill you," Eric mumbled. He fell back onto the hood of the car and laid back in pain.

"Not if I kill you first," Bill spat back.

"Stop it, the both of you!" Sookie shouted at them. "Bill, go and heal Pam. I have to help Eric."

"No, I don't want to." Bill whined like a stubborn two-year-old child.

"If you don't want me to give my great-grandfather the blessing he needs to end you, you will go and heal Pam. Although I don't know what she did to you—and believe me I'd rather not know—she healed you, didn't she?"

Bill reluctantly nodded.

"Well now, you hurt her, too. I'd say you're about even. Now, go heal her." Sookie paused and then softened the tone of her voice. "And Sam, too."

Bill sped away.

"Thanks." She turned and propped herself on top of the Corvette and straddled Eric. She placed the items she brought from inside the bar onto the hood of car. Eric, still naked, tilted his head sideways and stared at the items she laid out: a pair of pliers, a knife, and a big magnet.

"S-Sookie, what?" More blood sputtered out from his lips, and then a gurgling noise filled his throat.

"Don't talk, Eric, please. I don't know if this is going to hurt you, but I think I can take out the bullets."

In his weakened state, and with his throat full of blood, Eric had no choice but to nod and smile weakly.

Sookie put her hands at her side, trying to stop them from shaking. Well, at least I know I'll never be a world-class surgeon one day. She took a deep breath and relaxed. To try to calm down, she caressed Eric's cheek. She took the knife and tried her best to steady her hand.

Eric shifted nervously below her, unsure if he should keep his eyes open or close them, so as to not unnerve Sookie further.

Sookie took a deep breath, feeling as if she was playing the game Operation: The Eric Northman Edition and there was going to be a loud buzzing sound when she made a mistake. "No, wait." Wiping the area just above her lip, she decided to try something else before trying the knife.

She got the pliers and gripped the cylindrical magnet with them. Lowering the pliers with the magnet into the first hole, she thought the magnet would attract the silver and she could take the bullet out effortlessly.

Moments passed as she held the magnet to Eric's wounds, but nothing happened. "Damn it!" The bullets were too deeply embedded, and the magnet was completely useless. I'm so stupid! I've been watching too many fucking Tom and Jerry cartoons! There was no way around it. She was going to have to use the knife and dig the bullets out.

She set the pliers and the magnet down and grabbed the knife again. She looked at Eric, locking eyes with him. He looked so helpless in this position, and she bent down to kiss him on his bloodied lips, eliciting a weak smile from him.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded his head lightly and her hand began to shake again as she put the knife's point inside the bullet hole. She decided this was going to be her guiding point, and she was going to make a straight incision to open both holes.

Eric wanted to tell her to do it quickly, but since he couldn't talk, he just looked at her and tried his best to communicate with his eyes.

Slowly, Sookie moved the knife, putting slight pressure on the blade, but the knife didn't cut. Okay. This is just like slicing pumpkins on Halloween; I have to put more pressure. She applied more pressure to her incision and this time, the knife successfully pierced Eric's skin. But she was working too slowly, and Eric stiffened, widening his eyes, holding in his screams as the pain overwhelmed him. Just as Sookie was about to cut a triangular shape onto Eric's chest—like the crooked eyes she always carved on her Halloween pumpkins—Pam came up behind her.

"Sookie, give me the knife. I'll tend to my Master." Pam forcefully took the knife from Sookie's hand, and moved her aside.

Not wanting to start a petty fight at a time like this, Sookie let it go and glanced behind Pam, noticing Andy was no longer on the ground, but safely inside his vehicle. She regretted Bill hadn't turned off the red and blue lights, though. They were extremely distracting. Her face lit up as she saw Sam and Bill walking toward her. Sookie walked around Pam, who was carefully examining Eric's wounds.

"Sookie?" Sam asked.

"Sam, are you okay?" She glanced at his hands, and counted his fingers, feeling as if she was the vampire Count on Sesame Street, accent and all. Yes, ten! Ten fingers there! Thank God!

"I'm all right, cher. But look at you. You look like you just got out of a hair salon—"

Pam put an end to their conversation. ""Cut the chit chat, shifter. Don't make me regret putting those two fingers back on you. As a matter of fact, come over here and make good use of them. Help me get these silver bullets out."

"I can help, too," Sookie said.

Pam gave her an icy stare. "Don't you think you've done enough tonight? Besides this is clearly beyond your limited skill set."

Sam started to sound out a fuck you to Pam.

Sookie shook her head and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling on it. "It's all right, Sam. Please, Eric's in so much pain. Please."

Sam bit his comments. "Fine. For you, I'll help that dead motherf—"

Pam shot him a death glare and instead moved to Eric's side. In her vampire speed, she dug the knife deeply into the first bullet hole and made a connecting incision to the next hole. Eric's body stiffened and he closed his eyes, red tears escaping from them. Pam continued cutting and slicing until she finally had access to the bullets. Feeling nauseous from the pain, Eric turned his head sideways and expelled the blood which had collected in his throat.

Sookie wiped off Eric's blood from his face and mouth and the car with his still-wet shirt. She then planted another soft kiss on his cheek and stroked his brow lovingly.

"Use your hands, Shifter," Pam said. "Those outdated pliers lack the proper traction to grab the bullets and are too slick. You really should buy better tools with a rubberized traction, which allows for dual use in both wet and dry situations."

Rolling his eyes upward, Sam reached into Eric's chest, took out the two bullets, and handed them to Sookie. Just as she did when Eric was shot in Dallas, she kept them and put them in Eric's jacket pocket.

Pam made her way to the back of the Corvette, while Bill and Sam stood idly by. Sookie climbed on top of Eric, straddling him again, and put her right wrist on his mouth. "Here, drink from me so you can heal faster. Take all you need," she whispered to him.

"That won't be necessary." Pam brought out three blood bags Eric had placed in a hidden compartment in the Corvette. "As you can see, my Master is always prepared."

Eric weakly licked her wrist and kissed it softly. "Thank you for the offer, my Lover."

Sookie got off Eric and handed him one of the blood bags. In no time at all, he downed the entire contents, his wounds closing as he drank. Due to his age, Eric only needed one bag to fully recover, and he sat up on the hood when he was completely regenerated.

Bill shifted around restlessly, and Eric and Pam both glared up at him simultaneously. It seemed they were now ready to deal with him again.

In order to break the ensuing tension, Sookie got Eric's pants from the floor and shook the dirt off them. Kneeling down before the Viking, she set to helping him get his clothes on by guiding his legs into his pants.

Eric was truly enjoying her change of attitude and submissive behavior. It almost made the whole ordeal worthwhile. "Well aren't you sweet, my Lover?"

"Yes, she is very sweet! Too sweet a prize for one such as you, Viking. She is more suited to be with a King, than with such lowly trash as you." Felipe De Castro's right-hand man, Victor Madden, appeared from behind Merlotte's.

Sandy emerged behind the building next, then The King, Felipe de Castro himself. All three of them bared their fangs. The three Nevada vampires inhaled Sookie's scent deeply and experienced a calming, soothing sensation as they neared the startled group.

"Good evening, Miss Stackhouse," Felipe uttered in his Spanish accent, while looking at her appreciatively.

At that moment, Sookie was glad she had covered up. She immediately closed her eyes and began counting the voids she knew were hiding in the shadows.

Felipe De Castro, dressed in an impeccable black suit and his trademark cape, slightly bowed. "How are you, Miss Stackhouse? I hope we have not interrupted anything . . . important."

Sookie ignored his comment. "Eric, I count more than thirty voids. We are surrounded." She stood by Eric, who had now gotten off the Corvette. He finished buttoning up his slacks, and intertwined his hand in hers.

In a perfectly calm tone of voice that chilled Sookie's blood, Victor Madden said, "Thirty-five of us, Miss Stackhouse, to be precise, with only two objectives: to make me the new Sheriff of Area Five and to make you the King's new pet."

A/N: It's hard to believe all these chapters have taken place in the same day, huh? What a night!

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