I panicked. Today was the first time I had ever seen or met a shape-shifter other than my brother. I didn't think they would be too high on my list of favorite people after this, if there was an after this.

Eric placed me gently onto my feet and said, "Stay off to the side while Bill and I take care of them."

I nodded and watched as Eric moved at vampire speed through the shifters, killing them without Bill having to even lift a finger. I was impressed. It was a bloodbath and Eric's hands and mouth were full of blood. He scooped me up into his arms again and we headed through the first door. When we came out of the other side of the door, we were in a living room. I was pretty sure at this point that I was dreaming.

Eric looked down into my eyes and smiled. His mouth was still bloody, of course, but it was at that exact moment that I knew...I could be a vampire. I mean why not? I would be stronger, faster, invincible except for wooden stakes, and most important of all, I would be able to be with Eric forever. And I mean literally forever. But there was one problem: the sun. I loved the outdoors. Everything about the outdoors. I've loved the outdoors since Sam and I were little kids. Another downfall about becoming a vampire? No children. Hmm...could I really sacrifice daytime, sunlight, and children all to become a vampire and spend forever with the man I love? D-don't ask me now...

The living room looked quite typical with the ordinary two couches perpendicular to a coffee table in front of a television. The television had no screen though; there was just a big gaping hole where the screen should have been. Whoever's living room this was needed a new T.V. There wasn't much else in the living room: no lamps, no doorways, not even a front door. The only other thing was a staircase which led to another door. The staircase was inside of a closet so I was a bit weary about proceeding inside. Not that I had much of a choice since I was in Eric's arms the entire time.

We reached the top of the stairs and stood in front of the last doorway in this bizarre obstacle course. Eric placed me on my feet and took my hand. "Bill, take Ginnie's other hand and don't let go until we're on the other side." Eric meant every word.

I raised an eyebrow at his command but Bill knew better than to question Eric, especially in a time like this. Bill's hand was cold but not as cold as Eric's. Being hand-in-hand with two vampires is something I can honestly say I had never even dreamt of in my whole entire life. Vampires were supposed to be scary and ugly like in those old horror movies. The two vampires I know are nowhere near ugly and well, they can be a bit scary sometimes but not the way people think.

On the count of three, Eric opened the last door which revealed complete and total darkness. I so would not be venturing into a place like this on my own.

"Ginnie?" Eric said my name for what could have been the last time. Nobody knows what happens inside these...these doorways.

"Yes?"

"I love you." Eric said before turning around and stepping into the closet, leading me and Bill behind him.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Eric Northman the emotionless vampire loved me. I couldn't even tell him I loved him too, I couldn't tell him how much I loved him and how much I had loved him since the day I saw him at Fangtasia. I couldn't tell him that I had made up my mind and that I wanted to become a vampire because the second after he told me he loved me, I was back in my bedroom.

Sam's POV

Sookie and I were sitting on my couch examining a map of Shreveport and the surrounding areas when I heard a door slam down the hallway. Sookie and I flashed each other the same look before jumping up and running down the hallway. When I opened my bedroom door? Nothing. The bathroom? Nothing. Then I opened my sister's bedroom door and there she was, sitting on the floor beside her closet and crying her eyes out.

Ginnie's POV

I looked up at my brother and Sookie and realized I really was home and that Eric and Bill really weren't here.

"Sookie...Bill and Eric...I don't know if they can get through or not. They said there's no way to tell how long it'll take for them to get back here." I felt tears streaming down my face.

I tried to stand and hobble towards my brother who immediately gave me a big hug. Sookie gave me a hug too which really surprised me after everything she read inside my head.

"Gin where the hell were you? I was worried sick and I thought Eric took you but we went to Fangtasia and they said he was kidnapped too." Sam helped me hobble to my bed.

I said between sobs, "There were these shape-shifters. They looked like Bill and Lorena but they weren't. They tied Eric up with silver chains and tied us to chairs. Eric saved my life and then he said he loved me and I couldn't answer him because the next second I was here." I hugged my knees and sobbed again.

Sam wanted to comfort me, I was sure of that. But he didn't know how to. He said, "Look sis, why don't you take a shower and then go to bed and relax. I'm sure Eric and Bill will show up eventually. You need to rest Ginnie."

He kissed me on my forehead and I said, "Thanks Sam, for everything. I'm glad I have a brother like you because if we didn't have each other, we wouldn't have anything. Dad died and Mom left us when we were so young," I paused, "Will you tell me if Eric comes back?"

He nodded and gave me another hug before leaving my room with Sookie. I wondered how Sookie was taking the news that Bill wasn't here. He wasn't anywhere really. I couldn't believe that I was here alone with my brother, just like when we were kids. Just like we were before I moved to Maryland to start a new life and maybe make friends. Moving to Maryland was a mistake, I should've stayed in Bon Temps because that is where my home is. I couldn't think about Eric anymore, it hurt my heart too much, thinking that something bad was going to happen to him.

I collected myself and searched for some clothes to change into after my shower. I found the red Fangtasia shirt Eric gave to me at his house to wear and a pair of black shorts. I brought the clothes into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. When I finally got a chance to look at myself in the mirror, I looked like hell. My hair was a mess, I had scratches all over my face, and I looked like I had been beaten up. A few drops of Eric's blood would heal my scratches in no time. That is, if Eric ever comes back.

I tried to stop worrying about Eric for the duration of my shower in which I used probably about half of my shampoo bottle and the rest of my bar of soap. The hot water did my body good.

The shower also gave me time to think alone. Most of my thoughts, however, were consumed with Eric Northman. But I also began to think about my past. About everything that happened to me in Maryland. My brother had not wanted me to move to Maryland when I was 18 but I did it anyway because of course I thought I knew better because my brother was 6 years older than I was. When I did move to Maryland, I had no friends there. Sam doesn't know about anything that happened to me there. It's probably better he doesn't know about what happened there because I never told a living soul about it. Lord only knows what my brother would do if he knew I was tortured and raped by a vampire in Maryland.