Chapter 12 What's going on here

Oh boy. This is not good.

This is bad. And I mean, really really bad.

How could Sam go and do something as stupid as kiss me?

What does it mean?

This is going to complicate things, big time...

And god forbid if Eric ever finds out...

"Damn it." I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air as I laid there in bed and stared at the ceiling and relived the awkward encounter from the night before. Even though it had plagued my thoughts before bed, I figured once I fell asleep then I would find solace from the constant confusion. But that simply wasn't the case. My dreams that night were particularly vivid and I remembered every detail when I had opened my eyes 20 minutes ago. And thus started a day that I knew would be consumed with thoughts of the kiss I had shared with Sam. I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand and that turned out to be the first mistake of the day. "Fuck."

"Allie?" Sookie peeked around the side of my door and peered into the room at me. "Are you ok?"

"No, not really." I said honestly, wondering whether I should tell her about what happened last night. I knew she and Sam weren't going to be back to normal anytime soon and I didn't want this to rock the boat even further. But I couldn't just keep it inside, I had to talk about it to somebody. I looked at my cousin and chewed nervously on the inside of my cheek. "Do you have a minute?"

"I have all the time in the world for you." She replied with a carefree grin and pushed open the door and flounced across the room to the bed and sat down. "What's going on? You look really serious."

"That's because I am serious." I sighed, pulling my knees as close to my chest as I could manage without being in pain and wrapped my arms around my legs. "If I tell you something, can you promise to keep it between us?"

"Of course I will." Sookie assured me with a nod. I knew I could trust her word because I had history to back it up. She had always kept every secret I had ever told her since we were kids and it hadn't changed now that we were adults. But I still had to make very specific guidelines.

"You won't talk about this with Bill or Jason or Sam?" I asked, watching as her forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"First off, Jason is away doing god only knows what. And there is no way in hell I would tell Sam anything." Sookie laughed, rolling her eyes as she said this. But then her expression was serious and she looked at me curiously. "Why are you so adamant about it staying between us?"

"Because I don't want it to get back to Sam." I told her, feeling my cheek flush when I said his name. Remembering what happened made me extremely uncomfortable and I had to look at the floor. "Just promise me you won't talk about it to anyone."

"I promise. But what does it have to do with Sam?" Sookie wanted to know, her pretty face frowning at the mention of our friend.

"It involves him, that's why." I sat back against the headboard and pushed the blankets off my legs. I ran my fingers through my knotty hair and looked at my cousin apprehensively."Last night, after you left for work, I was sitting on the porch by myself and Sam came by to talk."

"I figured that's what he was up to when he disappeared from the bar." Sookie nodded and shrugged. "So I guess things are back to normal with you guys then?"

"Not exactly." I shook my head. That was so far from the truth. "I mean, we talked and I forgave him for the whole firing thing. So in that sense, we were ok. But then something happened I was not expecting at all."

"Is it something bad?" Sookie sat up curiously, her eyes searching mine for a clue so she could guess it.

"It could be." I answered with a grimace, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as the image returned to my mind. It had so warped my mind that I couldn't even look at my cousin. I kept my eyes down at the bed as I spoke. "Sam...he kissed me last night."

"No." Sookie replied with a simple shake of her head. She had this smile on her face like she was thinking this was all a joke and she was waiting for me to tell her what was really going on. So she just sat there staring at me. And I stared right on back, trying to communicate my sincerity through my eyes. It was only after 2 minutes of complete and utter silence that I saw understanding register in her features and her eyes widened considerably. "No. You have to be kidding me. He kissed you?"

"Yea, he did. And just to be clear, it wasn't on the hand or the cheek. It was full on the lips." I clarified, remembering every detail of how it had happened. It was replaying in super slow motion in my mind and it felt so intimate that my stomach clenched painfully. I dropped my face into my hands and groaned "What do I do?"

"What do you want to do?" She asked, her face contorted tightly as if she were trying to keep herself together. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to overcome this shock."

"You're not the only one." I sighed, sitting back again. "I didn't see this coming. And I'm more then a little confused. I need your guidance."

"Well I know first hand how you're feeling. Remember when Sam kissed me for the first time when I was just starting to date Bill?" Sookie reminded me, her face thoughtful as she spoke. "I mean, Sam is attractive and it's not like I didn't think about it. But I knew I felt a pull towards Bill and getting involved with Sam was just going to end up hurting him in the end. Especially when I didn't have real feelings for him."

"So what am I supposed to do? How do I react if I see him again?" I asked, desperate for some answers. "Sam is in love with you. But he kissed me. This isn't exactly easy to figure out."

"Well, look at it this way. It could just be a one time thing and you don't have to read too much into it. He may have just been caught up in the moment of you guys getting over your fight and he just took it too far." Sookie suggested with a shrug, tapping her fingers on her chin. "But then again, if he really meant to kiss you, then you have to decide how that makes you feel."

"It makes me feel sick." I spat out, hating how that sounded. "Not in a bad way. But I never thought of kissing Sam ever. I just never looked at him as anything more then a friend. And now he crossed a line and I don't know how I feel. And then there is Eric..."

"You're worried about Eric finding out?"

"That too, but mostly because I'm still trying to understand how I feel about Eric, and now Sam has gone and put himself into the equation and it makes things even more complicated then before." I closed my eyes and breathed heavily out through my lips. "This couldn't have happened at a worse time."

"That's how life works." Sookie pointed out, patting my leg with her hand. "I know it's hard and I don't envy your situation. But just relax and let your heart tell you what to do."

"And until then, I do what? Avoid all contact with Sam?" I asked, gripping my hair. "It's a small town. We will eventually run into each other again. Or he will just show up."

"You have to decide what you want to do. If avoiding him helps you think more clearly, then go for it." Sookie nodded and stood up. "I wish I could stay and talk more, but I have to go to work for your new love interest."

"That's not funny." I told her, throwing a pillow at her as she headed to the door. She grabbed it in her hands and tossed it back on the bed at my feet. "But thanks for talking to me. I needed it."

"Any time. You know I'm always here for you."

"I know."


At Fangtasia

"Eric, I told you before to cut it out."

"You don't really mean that."

"Uh yea I do actually."

"You didn't seem to mind it the other night when I sneaked up behind you in the hallway."

"And I also seem to recall telling you that nothing has changed. I'm not letting that go."

"You humans hold grudges over everything."

"It's not just a grudge. You hurt my feelings and I'm not going to get over that as fast as you want just because we've had a few good make out sessions."

"You could if you wanted."

"It's not going to happen..."

"What the hell am I doing?" Eric asked himself as he sat in the chair in his office and leaned over his desk with his arms on top and a sullen look on his face.

It was all because of her that he was hiding out in his office for the better part of the night. Normally he would be out on the floor soaking up all the attention and admiration coming his way from the humans. But tonight he just wasn't in the mood for any of that. He had failed at something for the first time in his entire life, both as a human and as a vampire, and he had no patience for being around anyone. He just wanted to sulk away the rest of the night and be alone with his thoughts. It wouldn't make him feel better about his failure, but at least he could attempt to figure out where he went wrong. Under normal circumstances with a normal human, he wouldn't have to think this much. They usually just crumbled under his eyes and that would be that. But not with Allison. She was the one who seemed to have a built in resistance to his charms and it posed a challenge to him to see how far he would have to go to get her to submit to him. But not only was she obviously not human, but she was also not like any other woman he had involved himself with.

"That girl is going to be the death of me." He groaned, dabbing at his nose with a blood soaked towel and tossed it on the desk top. He had been kept awake for the past couple of nights, consumed with thoughts of that girl and now he had the bleeds. It was just proof that she was attaching herself to every part of him without him realizing it.

He should have expected that things weren't going to be easy with Allison. The Stackhouse women never made anything easy. But she was so different from Sookie. She was more complicated then he had originally thought and yet he approached the situation the same way he would with any female he desired. He still couldn't understand the lack of a blood bond with her and so he had set out to make things right so he could have all of her. But that didn't exactly happen. She rebuffed all his efforts to ease the tension between them He showered her with material things and she refused to accept them. Cars and money and houses seemed to have no affect on how she looked at him. She wanted something that he simply couldn't give her. And that was an understanding of why he wasn't there that night. He, himself was more then curious about that as well, but there was just no answer to be had. And that was why he went to the next best thing, which was to offer her anything and everything money could buy. But she didn't want it, any of it. Any other woman would have jumped at the chance to be bought a house or a car, but not Allison Stackhouse. In fact, she only seemed to get angrier at him when he tried to give her these things. More then once she had called him a shallow, materialistic bastard who used his money and power to get his way and each time he had to hold back from rushing across the room and draining her. Ok, maybe she wasn't like all woman who wanted him only for his wealth, but it was what he was used to. It was the only other way he knew to make things right and get his way. It wasn't working and he was getting tired of having to think all the time. He never thought this much in his life. At least not when it came to women.

"You're hiding again?" Pam's voice floated across the room from where she stood in the doorway in her usual black get up when she was manning the bar. "From the Stackhouse girl? Eric, that is pathetic."

"I don't need you to come in here and point out the obvious." He snapped, glaring at his child, which had no affect on her and she waltzed into the room with a shake of her head.

"You need this shoved in your face. Ok?" Pam sat across from him and crossed her legs. "Look at it from my point of view. You're sitting in here by yourself and obsessing over this girl..."

"I'm not obsessing." Eric denied, sitting back in his chair and kicking the leg of the desk.

"Yes you are obsessing." Pam countered, shaking her head. "You've been keeping to yourself, you haven't rested in days and now you have the bleeds. Face it Eric, this girl has got you more tangled up then you ever have been before."

"I have no idea what you mean."

"I think you do." His child said, crossing her arms and standing up again. She walked up to the desk and leaned across it. "You're interested in her. And not just in a sexual way. You like her. I know it."

"You don't know anything." He shouted in her face, rising out of his chair in anger. He stormed towards the door and threw it open, intending to show his face in the bar and finding some human he could have his way with. He needed to get his mind off everything and that's what he intended to do. He left Pam alone in his office and didn't look back. Pam however, stood there and watched him leave, with a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh he is interested. Big time."


At the Compton house

"You're distracted. I can tell." Bill said, running his fingers along her bare back and causing her to shiver. "Where is your mind at?"

"I'm worried about Allison." Sookie told him, turning her head so she could look at his handsome face. She hugged the pillow to her face. "I'm scared for her."

"Is it about what happened between her and Sam?" Bill asked, moving his hand to her head so he could comb his fingers through her hair the way she liked it. "I told you before it was going to work itself out. These things always do."

"No, it's not about that." Sookie shook her head, propping herself up on her elbows and setting her chin in her hands. "It's about Eric."

"You're thinking about Eric? Should I be worried or jealous?" He asked jokingly, his nimble fingers moving through the blonde strands.

"Neither, because it has nothing to do with me. At least not directly." She sighed, biting on her bottom lip nervously. "I'm just worried that Eric is only pretending to like Allie because he wants to get to me."

"Don't be scared." Bill told her, laying himself down on the bed next to her and putting his arm around her. "I wouldn't let him harm you."

"I'm not scared of him hurting me. I know that you would get yourself killed before it ever came to that." She said with a smile and leaned over to kiss her fiancee's lips. "It's more that I'm worried he is just interested in her because he thinks it will help him get me all to himself. And if that is the truth, then Allie is going to get her heart broken and I don't want that to happen."

" I see." Bill replied, stroking her cheek with his hand. "If Eric still wanted you, then he wouldn't have to go through anyone to do it. He would just come for you directly."

"It didn't work last time so maybe he is just trying to be sneaky about it this time." Sookie pointed out, scratching her head briefly. "You and I both know he is capable of doing something like that to get what he wants."

"That is true." Bill agreed, a thoughtful look on his cold face. "But we have no way of knowing for sure. Because Eric will never admit to any wrong doing."

"I know and that's what is going to drive me nuts." She groaned, dropping her face in her hands again. "If I could keep him away from her then I would."

"And I would help you, but there is really nothing we can do about." He said, touching her shoulder lightly. "Eric wants her, for some reason or other. And for everyone's sake, I just hope it isn't for anything bad."

"If he isn't interested in me, then why does he want her?" Sookie asked, more to herself then to Bill. "Why is he up to?"

"I wish I could give you answer but I can't."

"Yea, me too."


48 hours later

"Oh man I can't take it anymore." I groaned, rubbing my temples with my fingertips and tried to relax but the pain was just too much tonight. I should have called out of work but my pride kept me from picking up the phone and I had just come to Fangtasia anyway. I had woken up that morning with a blinding head ache that just wouldn't ease up at all, no matter what I did. I had slipped in the bathroom and fell into the corner of the counter and my ribs had been screaming at me ever since. I had to have Sookie drive me to the hospital since I was in so much pain. When I got there, the doctor told me I had fractured my already fractured ribs even further, and I would have to limit my activities even more. This of course did not sit well with me and when Sookie drove us back home, I hadn't said a word to her. After she made sure I was in bed and surrounded by anything I might need, she had to leave for work and I was left alone in the house with nothing to do but sulk the rest of the day. I eventually got so fed up with myself that I was forced to pull myself out of bed and get dressed to go to work. I couldn't spend another minute in bed, I would go crazy. So I threw on some clothes, grabbed my bag and my keys and got behind the wheel of my car. I was in so much pain by the time I arrived that I just sneaked in the back entrance and into my office without being noticed. I had a feeling that Eric knew I was there anyway, because Pam had come in to check a file and saw me hunched over at the desk, and surely she would have told him I was here by now. But he hadn't come in yet and I was glad for it. I just couldn't deal with him right now. Not when I felt like I was going to fall apart from the pain.

"When is this agony going to end?" I cried out loud, a few tears slipping down my cheeks as I wrapped my arms around myself and set my head on the desktop. I was glad I was alone, at least then I could complain to myself in private without risk of embarrassment. But of course, luck wasn't on my side at all today and as soon as I had started crying, I heard the rush of wind and I looked up to see Eric standing in the doorway in all his glory. I groaned again and turned away. "Not now Eric. I can't deal with you at the moment. I'm kind of in pain here."

"I know that. I could hear you're crying all the way across the bar." He stated, coming into the room and locking the door behind him.

"Then why are you here? You always said you didn't want me to cry in your presence, so leave me in peace." I snapped, burying my face in my hands. I tried to calm my sobs because the harder I cried, the more it hurt. "I already have enough to deal with and I don't have the energy to fight you off tonight."

"I'm not here to bring you more trouble." He said, his voice not holding any emotion at all. I could hear his footsteps getting closer and then his hand was on my shoulder and I was forced to look up at him. His pale face was just as empty as his voice. "I'm here to heal you."

"Jesus Christ Eric." I snapped, pushing his hand away and forcing myself to my feet. " I already told you I wasn't going to take any more of your blood. So stop bugging me about it."

"I'm not bugging. I'm offering an opportunity." He said, his blue eyes flashing slightly with anger as he stood before me. "You can drink from me and not be in any more pain, or you can continue to be stubborn and suffer for 3 more weeks. Your choice."

"Why won't you just give up on this? Why do you care if I am in pain?" I asked furiously, trying my hardest to keep up my strong front, but I was crumbling at the edges. I grabbed the corner of the desk to keep myself upright so I wouldn't seem weak. "Why is it so important for you to heal me?"

"It just is." He said, stepping forward until he was practically on top of me. His hand went under my chin and roughly pulled my face upwards until I had no choice but to look at him again. I wasn't expecting to see much in his features. After all, Eric never showed any kind of emotion when he was around me. And I was sure that was no different when he was around other people or even vampires. So when my eyes met his, I was taken aback by the look that was staring back at me. For once it wasn't mocking or teasing or even a manipulative look. It was one of guilt and shame. I couldn't read it anywhere else on his face, but it shined through in his eyes and all thoughts of resisting fell away. It was the most human he had ever looked to me and it hit me that this may be a rare occurrence. I was sure Eric never let himself feel guilty or ashamed, but here he was looking just that. And for a second, I just stared back, unable to look away. His hand was still on my face but I had no intention of moving or even trying to. His stare was heavy and intense like he was pleading silently with me to go along with it. Like he needed me to agree with this so it would stop tormenting him. And the longer I stood there looking up at him, the more I was becoming sure that he meant what he said when he told me he didn't know why he couldn't feel my pain. He wasn't lying to me that night, he really didn't know. But for the last week, he had been trying to right a wrong for something that he had technically never done. He was opening himself up. And no matter how small it was, it still meant something to me. His hand moved up to my cheek and his thumb stroked across my skin before he spoke again and this time saying something I never thought he would say. "Please."

"Ok." I whispered, nodding my head only slightly to avoid another onslaught of pain. I looked down, biting my lip nervously. "You can heal me."

"It's about time." Eric huffed, dropping down into the desk chair and bringing his arm up to his mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut before I could see anything but I heard the sickening crunch and knew he had bit into his flesh. I didn't have a second to react before I felt his arm slip around my waist and he tugged me down into his lap. The pain was blinding when he moved me that quickly, but he brought his arm to my lips just as fast and I felt his hand on the back of my head, urging me to do it. "Drink."

And so I did. I tried to block out the pain and instead focused on gripping onto his arm as tightly as I could and drinking from the wound in his wrist. The blood came out easily, reminding me of the first time I had done this all those weeks ago and it slid down my throat without me trying to stop it. I felt Eric's arm tighten around me as I drank from him and I could have sworn I heard a moan escape from his lips. But I didn't stop to interpret it. The more blood I drank, the quicker the pain started to leave my body and that's all I could focus on. The pounding in my head started to subside second by second until it had gone away completely and I was left with a relief feeling in it's place. And then the rest of my body began to heal after that. I could literally feel my ribs start to piece themselves back together, fusing into place until they were one again, and the constant pain that had been present for so long was starting to slip away. My skin that had throbbed and showed the most damage was repairing itself and I opened my eyes to watch the bruises lighten in color until they faded and my skin looked like it had never been damaged in the first place. I felt a smile spread across my face at the new feeling I felt, finally remembering what it was like to not be in pain all the time. I was healed, fully and completely. And it was all thanks to him.

"Ok, that's enough. You're going to over cook yourself." Eric said, amusement in his voice as he gripped the back of my neck and pulled his arm away. I felt my arms drop to my side and I watched the open would on his wrist heal itself within 3 seconds with nothing left except the stain of the blood that looked vivid against his pale skin. After that I just sat there on his lap, not saying anything. I didn't know if there was anything to say, so I didn't speak. And neither did he. For once, he wasn't making some stupid comment that would force me to yell at him and kick him out. He just remained silent and kept me there on his lap, his arm locked around my waist and his head turned away from mine. Maybe he was being respectful for once. It would be a first but it didn't mean he wasn't being sincere. He must have sensed me looking at him because he turned to meet my eyes with a frown on his face. "What?"

"Nothing." I whispered, staring at his blue eyes and seeing more emotion then I thought I would. He started to look away but before he could turn his head, I brought my hands up to either side of his face and he stopped and turned back to me. I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next, but I leaned in and pressed my lips against his, kissing him as deeply as I could to express the gratitude I couldn't say. I don't know if he was surprised because I was the one initiating it and not him, but he didn't react right away. That didn't bother me thought, I had decided to kiss to show my thanks and if he didn't respond then that was his issue, not mine.

"I need to return to the bar." He said, standing up and set me back on my feet. He walked around the side of the desk and over to the door where he flipped back the lock and left the room without even looking over his shoulder. When he was gone, I sat back down on the chair and pressed my fingers to my lips. This wasn't how I was thinking the night was going to end. I thought that it would make me feel less confused about how it felt but it only made me feel more uneasy.

"I hate this." I muttered to myself, before I swung around in my chair and went back to work.


At Merlotte's

"Sam? Are you in there? We really need you at the bar." Arlene's voice called out to him as her small fist pounded on the locked door of his trailer while he sat on his couch and stared at the floor.

"I'm not feeling well, have Terry run the place." He yelled back, not even looking up from the spot he was looking at.

"He dropped his hat in the deep fryer again and now he is freaking out. We could really use your help." Arlene stated, sounding both worried and annoyed. "Please Sam?"

"Ask Lafayette to man the place." He shouted, a tone in his voice that said this conversation was over.

"Um, alright. Feel better." She said, her footsteps falling away until he was left in silence again.

This wasn't him, he wasn't supposed to be acting like. Avoiding work, hiding in his trailer, lying to his friends, it was so out of character for him. Even when he was lusting after Sookie, he had never intentionally kept himself hidden away like a bear in winter. But yet, he shared one kiss with Allison and he was doing everything in his power to avoid being seen anywhere she might be. He didn't know why he did it. It was just something that happened and now he didn't know what to make of it. He didn't know what he was feeling or what he was thinking or anything. All he knew was that he had an urge to avoid all contact with people until he could make sense of what happened between him and Allison.

"Why would I do something so crazy?" He asked himself, sitting up and grabbing his beer from the coffee table and taking a long sip. "I never once thought about kissing her."

And that was true. He had never looked at Allison and saw someone he wanted to be with in an intimate way. He always looked at her as a little sister/ best friend, someone who looked up to him and he felt the need to protect. Sure he thought she was beautiful. That was undeniable, but he never looked at her the way that other men did. It just wasn't his thing. He just couldn't picture himself with her. It would just be wrong. He had known the Stackhouse girls for years and never once had he ever thought of Allison as being anything more then a friend. His best friend, who he loved like family, but it stopped at that. Sam had always been attracted to Sookie and always looked at the blonde longingly whenever they were at work together. But with Allison...he had never looked at her the way he looked at Sookie. But something must have shifted because you don't just kiss your best friend unless it meant something. So did that mean he liked Allison? Did it mean he wanted her?

"Oh god I feel so dirty for even thinking that." He groaned, feeling uncomfortable as that thought entered his head. But the moment it did, he couldn't stop it from circulating. Because would it really be that bad to like Allison?

He didn't completely think so. After all, she was young and beautiful and educated. Everything a guy would want in a woman. And she was a woman, it wasn't like he was fantasizing about her and she was a teenager. She was an adult and she was his friend. People fell in love with their best friends all the time, so why should this be any different? She and him had been close for as long as they had known each other. She had stood by his side when he needed someone there for him, she worked hard when she had been his employee and she never once judged him for being a shape-shifter. And that was the big thing for him. He hadn't told any one else about his secret because he feared their reaction. But with her, he was able to be himself and not worry about how she looked at him. Because even after he told her the truth, she didn't look at him any differently and that made him happier then he could have imagined. She was a good person and she was nice to him and he would be a lucky man to have her. And that posed the big question.

Was the kiss a mistake?


A few hours later

"This is a first, I'm actually going home in a good mood." I said to myself with a grin as I closed the file I had just finished entering in the computer and shut the machine down. I returned the file to the shelf and went back to my desk to grab my bag and then left the room, making sure everything was in order before I shut the light off. I sighed happily and walked slowly down the hall, swinging my purse in one hand and fighting the urge to sing. As much as I had protested against the idea in the beginning, drinking Eric's blood was the best thing I could have done. I felt so much better about myself, nothing in my body hurt and I felt stronger then I ever had before. I knew it was because of all the vampire blood I had ingested, but it was something more then that. The look in Eric's eyes before I drank from him was what had changed my mood, I just couldn't get it out of my head. It was so human of him to look at me like that. I felt like I had gained some ground with him and it made me more ecstatic then I was prepared for. I knew I cared for him, but my anger over his absence at my accident had masked that. But when he came to me tonight and asked me to let him heal me, there was just something extremely human about him and it changed how I viewed him. He wasn't as scary as I had first found him. Sure he was still formidable, but I was no longer in fear of my life now when I was around him.

"It's about time you were in a better mood." Eric's voice drifted out of the shadows and I looked up with a smile to see him staring at me. As soon as our eyes, he walked forward to meet me in the middle of the hallway. He towered over me and I had to tilt my head back to look at him. "Now I don't have to listen to your complaining every night."

"Thanks, I think." I said with a smirk, rolling my eyes when I spoke but the smile didn't leave my face. "But seriously, thank you. I mean that."

"Then I suppose this is the part where I say you're welcome." He stated, his hand coming up to my face and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "It was my pleasure."

"Yea. I know, I could tell." I replied, remembering the noise he had made when I fed from him and I wonder if that's how I would react if I ever let him bite me. "I like you a lot better when you are nice to me."

"Don't get used to it because it will never happen again." He huffed, the familiar smirk returning to his face and his hands dropped away. "This was a one time moment."

"I guess I will have to cherish it then." I joked half halfheartedly. I knew Eric wasn't the type to open up willingly but I should try any way. "How come you aren't like this all the time? People might like you more if you are less...angry."

"I don't really care if people like me or not. And being angry brings power. Humans tend to fall in line more easily if they are scared of me." He answered back with a frown and he crossed his arms, his hand brushing against me as he moved. "Like you."

"But I'm not scared of you." I blurted out, watching in surprise as his expression flickered. "At least, not anymore."

"Well you should be." He snapped, narrowing his eyes and pushing me back against the wall. His fangs extended before I could take a breath and his face was coming at me with a hungry look on it. I didn't hesitate before I brought my hand up in front of me instinctively. I didn't know what was going to happen but I saw a bright white light erupt from the end of my fingertips and hit Eric square in the face. He was blasted off his feet and thrown clear across the hallway and he landed with a thud that I was sure every vampire in the building could hear. I watched him sit up, surprise and shock etched across his face, but I wasn't completely taken aback. Sookie had warned me about the powers that ran in our blood from being part fairy and said the very same thing had happened to her. This was the first time I was experiencing my powers and I was taken by surprise not that they had finally showed themselves, but by the strength they had presented. I had no idea that I was going to be able to over power a vampire and toss him away from me like a rag doll. And it seemed like Eric was thinking the same thing.

"So you are like Sookie." He mumbled, nodding in confirmation as he got back to his feet. "You're strong, very strong."

"No, it must have just been a rush or something." I said, feeling nervous about the look in his eyes. Displaying my abilities in front of him was making him look at me like I was a weapon or something. "I need to go. Please don't follow me."

Eric didn't offer any protest as I fled the hall and left the building so fast that my head was spinning.


Later that night

"Oh god, you were amazing tonight." Sookie breathed heavily as Bill rolled off her and onto the bed at her side. He pulled the sheet up over their bodies and brought his finger to the tip of one fang and punctured his skin. As soon as the blood appeared, he rubbed it against the marks he had made on her neck and the blood made the bite disappear in a instant. When he had laid back down, she moved over and settled against his chest as she always did after they had made love. "This is one of the reasons I love you so much."

"Because I give you mind blowing sex every night?" He asked her, his chest rumbling with laughter, making her cuddle against him even more. She loved listening to him laugh.

"Oh yea, that's the only reason." She teased, rolling on her side to look at him. "And you're nice to look at."

"Well look at you Sookie Stackhouse, being all one sided." He shook his head and smiled while his hand went to her face. "I hope that's not the only reason you decided to marry me."

"It's not?" She asked in mock surprise, laughing when he pretended to be offended. She sat up and was leaning towards him to kiss him again when her phone started buzzing on the nightstand next to the bed. She groaned loudly and reached across Bill to grab it. "Hello?"

"Sookie? It's Sam, are you at home?" Her boss asked breathlessly, sounding like he had been running for a while.

"No, I'm with Bill." She answered, frowning as she sat up and pulled the sheets around her. "What are you doing calling me?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"Well I don't really want to talk to you right..." She started to tell him, but Sam cut in before she could finish.

"Is Allison home? She's not taking my calls." He stated, his breathing so heavy that she could barely understand him.

"Yea, she's home, She just got back from work like an hour ago and talked to her. Why do you want to know?" Sookie demanded, curious about what he was up to. But the only sound that met her ear was the dial tone. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. "What the heck was that about?"

"I have no idea." Bill shrugged before a wicked smile came over his face. "But I do have an idea about what I would like to be doing."

"Oh yea?" Sookie smiled and tossed her phone back on the table before Bill climbed on top of her again.


At the Stackhouse home

"Showers can do wonders for a person." I said with a smile as I walked into the living and sat on the couch to finish combing out my damp hair. I had arrived home feeling shaky after my encounter with Eric and I was hoping to talk to Sookie about it, but when I called her, she was with Bill and I didn't want to ruin their night so I just told her I would see her in the morning and hung up. Then I ran upstairs and jumped in the shower and the hot water had put me right at ease. So when I slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank top, I came down here to grab a snack and watch TV. But I wouldn't get a chance to do that because just as I set down my comb, the front door burst open and Sam came into the room unannounced. I jumped up from the couch in surprise. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Your...your face, your bruises...they're gone." Sam sputtered, ignoring my question entirely as his eyes went up and down my body searching for any sign of injury and when he found none, he frowned. "You drank his blood, didn't you?"

"That is none of your business." I replied stubbornly, glaring at him for coming in my house without even asking and even more for asking me such a thing.

"You don't even need to answer, I already know the truth. It's obvious." He snapped, shaking his head in disappointment. "I can't believe you would do that. Again."

"Then why are you still here?" I asked, feeling my anger flare up and I forgot that he and I had just made up a few days ago. "You come in unannounced and start yelling at me about my choices. You don't like it, then get the hell out."

"No." He said simply walking from his place by the door and further in to the room. "I came here because I needed to talk to you face to face. You've been ignoring me for days."

"I needed time to myself to figure out what happened." I said roughly, not looking at him and feeling heat rise up in my face when I mentioned the event that had taken place on the porch of this house.

"I've been doing the same thing." Sam told me, his hands on his waist. "I tried figuring it out myself and I couldn't come to a conclusion. And I had to come over here to see if what happened between us was a mistake."

"Sam, I don't think this is the right..." I was trying to find the words to make sense of what had occurred, but Sam wasn't interested in words. He wanted action and that's what he did. Instead of trying to talk this out, he crossed the space between us and grabbed my shoulders and before I could stop him, he leaned in and kissed me.