Eric and I laid wrapped in each others arm's all night. I had slept enough over the past weeks that I never felt the need to close my eyes and drift away, I wanted to remember every moment with him. I couldn't seem to get it through my mind that his world and my world were so drastically different, even though I knew that was the way it was.

He was leaving in two days, that gave me 48 hours to form some type of plan to save him. Problem was, I needed to try and do this without Eric knowing. He was quite clear in letting me know that I was not allowed to intervene in anyway. I agreed, but being the woman I am, kept my fingers crossed behind my back.

He had promised me that he was going to take the next two days off from work in order to spend these last nights with me. I know that he was doing this because he secretly was afraid that he might not come home. Although, he told me it was because he wanted to see me and know all about my trips to the doctor and such.

We talked all night about how much we loved each other, and how lucky we were to have found one another.

"Sookie, did I ever tell you that the first night I ever saw you, when you came to Fangtasia with Bill, that I told Pam that I would have you? I do not mean have you in a sexual way, well, I did, but I meant that I would have you. I would spend my life with you, as my equal, as my love. I told her that I would love you like nothing I had ever loved before, and that I would never be the same." He kissed my hair and rubbed my shoulders.

"No, you never told me that. You told me that your life changed on that night, but you never told me that. Did I ever tell you that I could feel you trying to Glamour me and get inside my head that night?" His hands stopped rubbing. "And that I almost wanted to let you in so that you could draw me to you. But, I was too proud, too young." I looked up at him and saw him smiling down at me.

"You felt me, and wanted to let me in? I knew you wanted me, just as much as I wanted you." He gave me his evil grin and I slapped his shoulder. "Sookie, we will go out tomorrow night. Would you please wear that dress, the one that you wore that first night you came to Fangtasia?" He was holding my chin in his hands, looking directly in my eyes, as though he was remembering that dress from all those years ago.

"Of course, I don't think that I'll ever get rid of that dress. It might look a little too big, but I'll wear it." I reached up and kissed him softly. I knew the dawn was getting close because I could feel the pull of sleep dragging him under. He nestled his head into my hair and inhaled my scent, letting his body fill with the lingering smell.

He kissed me and was dead for the remainder of the day. I knew that I could now start the put together some type of plan. I needed to figure out how to get to Las Vegas after Eric had left, and get to Felipe without Eric knowing.

I made a promise to myself and to Eric that I would call the doctor, and I was not going to renege. I took the card off the table and called the number. Since it was so early I knew I would get the answering service. I left a message with my name, and made it very clear that I was Eric Northman's wife. I had gotten comfortable playing the wife of a powerful vampire card when I really needed it. Her answering service assured me that I would be the first call she returned when she got into the office.

I went downstairs and for the first time in weeks, made myself some coffee. I looked in the fridge, and was very happy to see that there was cream. I smiled to myself and felt how much I loved him. No matter how shitty my life was right now, I needed to pull myself together and step up for Eric.

He would go to hell and back for me, it was my turn to do just that for him. The combination of his blood and my new found resolve was making me feel untouchable. I looked around the quiet house. It seemed so peaceful, so beautiful. I actually felt like a fog had been lifted, like dirty glasses had been removed from my eyes.

I thought about my life. Yes, an unbearable, heinous, undeserving injustice had happened to me. I did not do anything to deserve what was done to me. But, I was not alone. I had people all around me that wanted to help me. I was lucky, I was fortunate. I thought about all the other women in the world that had this same fate dealt to them, but had no one to help them.

I felt a pang of guilt as I thought about all of the children that this happened to and did not understand, and had no one they could confide in. I remember how I felt about my uncle, and how relieved I was when my Gran listened to me.

We live in an evil world, and truly awful people do exist. But, we also live in an extraordinary world, and truly beautiful and good people exist. I was lucky enough to know that I had beautiful people all around me. They might not be beautiful and good in some peoples eyes. In fact, to most people they were monsters, but to me they were my everything. They loved me, protected me, honored me. Right now I felt like I was one of the luckiest girls in the world.

I felt a tear of joy slip down my cheek. I had come so close to my own mortality, several times now. My entire world was upstairs, dead for the day, blissfully unaware that I was taking back control. The control that he had mentioned last night. For the first time in I don't know how long I felt like I had a grasp on my emotions.

I must have been sitting in the kitchen for quite some time thinking about my life and my future, because the phone startled me when it rang. I took a quick look at the clock and saw that it was just past 8:00am.

"Hello? Yes, this is Sookie Northman. Oh, good morning. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, I really appreciate it." I guess dropping the name Northman can really be beneficial. The answering service wasn't kidding when they told me that she would call me as soon as she got into her office. "Well, I was hoping that I could see you as soon as possible. I'm not sure if Detective Rice gave you any history on me. Oh, she did, well that's just great. Ten? Sure, I can be there at ten. I'll see you then." Wow, I guess I needed to get going.

There was no backing out now. I had made a promise, and now I was following through. I felt courage and pride as I ran into the bathroom the get in the shower. I decided that I needed to take a few minutes to snuggle with Eric. I curled up in bed next to him and took his arms and wrapped them around me.

He shifted slightly as he could smell me and feel my body. His face smiled as he knew that I was near. I rested my head on his chest and breathed his unique scent. God, I loved him with my entire being. He was my entire world. My everything. I rubbed my cheek against his bare chest and let myself silently thank him for his harsh words last night.

I brought my mouth up close to his ear, hoping that I could get him to hear my words.

"Eric, sweetie. I just wanted to let you know that I love you. I'm going out in a bit. I'm going to see that doctor that the detective suggested. I just spoke to her and I have an appointment in two hours. I'm ready Eric, I'm ready and I love you." I felt his arms tighten drastically around me. He was hearing me and I knew that he understood exactly what I was saying.

I could feel so much love and so much hope flow through our bond. It made a chocking sound come out of my throat, it was overpowering. He was feeling everything, even as he slept for the day.

I nuzzled his hair and kissed his neck, letting him know that I could feel him. I don't know if it was the feelings that were passing between us, or the fact that we had spent too much time apart these past few weeks, but Eric opened his eyes and looked directly at me.

It took me by surprise and I almost jumped when I saw his eyes snap open.

"Eric, are you alright? Do you need something? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up, I just wanted to tell you where I was going and to say I love you." I was feeling bad that I had interrupted his sleep.

"Yes, I do need something." He leered at me and had me pinned underneath him faster than I could have imagined. Even in his daytime stupor he was still a force to be reckon with.

My body exploded with desire as I realized that even when he was supposed to be dead for the day, he still wanted me and could be roused by me. I smiled up at him and pulled his mouth to mine. I battled with his tongue, letting him know that I too needed something.

"Tell me what you need." My voice was ragged and breathless as I was drowning in his lust. He was tearing the clothes from my body, completely unaware that he was doing this.

"You, I need every part of you my love. I need your body, your soul, your love. I need to possess you and have you…now." Before he could finish telling me what he needed he was inside of me. I inhaled deeply as I felt him push into me.

This was the first time that we had ever made love during the day. I had never known that he could function on this level while he was supposed to be sleeping. It took all that I had to wake him in Rhodes, and here he was, making love to me and all I did was snuggle up next to him and tell him I loved him.

"Oh, God… Eric. Are you actually awake? Are you…Oh…Oh, are you going to remember this?" All I could think was that we were going to have amazing sex and he wasn't going to believe me when I told him about it.

"Sookie, I could never not remember this body. I am awake and I am here. I love you. I felt you, I felt your happiness and your courage. I knew that I needed to remember this moment, the moment that you truly came back to me." He was thrusting into me with a slow and perfect pace. Not too fast, but not so slow that I thought I was going to explode.

I let my hands roam down his back and cupped his butt as he plunged into me. I wanted to remember this moment forever, the sun was high in the sky, although it could not penetrate this safe room. But, we were making love in the morning.

I looked deeply in is eyes, he really was awake. His blue gaze was fixed on mine. He was committing this to memory, just as I was. I wanted to throw my head back in pleasure, but knew that I never felt more connected to him than when we watched each other as we made love.

"Sookie, oh..my Sookie. My lover, I need you, I need to feel you, I need to feel you inside of me and I need to feel you come." Yup, he certainly was awake and he was picking up the pace. I could feel the urgency behind his thrusts and knew that my release was building. I was going to be able to give him exactly what he needed.

I felt like he was completely owning me, like he was rediscovering a treasure long lost in the caverns of his ancient mind. He was enraptured in this commitment and we were more than husband and wife, more than bonded, we were survivors. We were one and we needed one another to survive.

He licked my shoulder and sank his fangs into the soft flesh. As I felt the slight pain as his teeth punctured the skin my orgasm started, sending him into his own. His body shuttered above me as I screamed him name and clenched my legs around his waist. He drank from me and pulled heavily on the wounds.

I could feel my blood being sucked from deep within my body, and I wanted to give it all to him. I wanted him to take all of me in that minute. The pleasure that was flowing through us was immeasurable. It was nothing like I had felt before.

I ran my fingers through his hair as he licked the tiny wounds clean and set them off healing. I felt so whole, so complete. We lay there, taking in the events of the morning. He was completely exhausted, not only from our lovemaking, but from the fact that this should be his down time.

He took me in his arms and pulled me against him. I felt that familiar spot of his body, the spot that was made for me, and only for me. The spot that I swear was molded to my form. There was no one that could ever fit more perfectly against his body than me. He buried his face into the back of my neck, letting his nose dive into my hair.

"Lover, you have made me more happy this morning than I ever thought possible. Not only did you wake me in the most wonderful way, but you are taking control and you are coming back to me. I love you, you are mine, just as I am yours. Be safe today, I will see you when I wake." He kissed me deeply and was pulled under by sleep.

I laid there for another few minutes, basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking. I looked over at the clock and realized that I needed to get a move on. I flew, not literally, into the shower and washed up. The smell of the soap and the shampoo was more intense than I remember. It clung to my nostrils, causing me to waken my senses even more.

The honey and the tangerine in the shampoo made my stomach ache with hunger. I never did get that cheeseburger last night. If I had enough time I was going to stop at a drive through and get myself something greasy and fattening. The hot water felt like heaven as it rained down over my body. Everything around me just seemed better.

I dressed quickly, deciding on jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. I was happy that Eric fed from my shoulder. I was not sure how this shrink felt about vampire/human relationships, and I certainly did not want her to see fresh fang marks on my neck on our first visit.

I went back into the bathroom to brush out my hair and pull it up into a ponytail. I looked into the mirror and saw that I really did look terrible. I had taken Eric's blood, so I knew that this look was remarkably better than what I must have appeared yesterday. My skin was almost gray, hollow, sunken. I looked like I was dead, but not dead like Eric and Pam. I did not look like a beautiful, pale, undead, vampire. I looked like a plain old dead human.

I sucked up my horror and shook my head. My clothes hung off my body, I was past ten pounds. I may have been pushing the fifteen pound mark. My breasts were not filling out my bra like they used to. I was in serious need of some good, down home cooking.

I sped out the door and got in my car. As I pulled out of the driveway I smiled to myself, I didn't hesitate. I left the house and I got in my car and I drove. I was doing this, I should wake Eric up more often in the morning.

I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that a car was behind me. I took a few different turns, trying to see if I was being followed. Each time I took a detour the car behind me would follow. Instead of calling the police I decided to call Eric's accountant. If anything was going on, if Eric had hired someone to keep tabs on me during the day, his accountant would know.

Sure enough, Eric had hired a security service to tail me when I went out during the day. Would have been nice if he had told me. What if I had pulled over and went charging at them with all my craziness? What if I was the type of girl that carried a gun? I guess Eric knew that would never happen. His accountant assured me that they weren't there to spy on me, just to make sure that I was safe at all times.

Well, I guess I did feel slightly better. I did feel like I was safe, I would have to let Eric know that I was happy with his decision. I had always told him that I didn't like the idea of constantly being watched. Now, it made me feel better.

I had twenty minutes to get to the doctor's office, just enough time to pull through the drive thru of the local coffee shop. I got myself another large cup of steaming hot coffee, and a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich. My mouth was watering with anticipation.

I swear I inhaled it. It must have taken me about three bites to get it down. I must have looked like a wild animal devouring a piece of fresh meat. I didn't even care that I had burned the roof of my mouth biting in. The blood I had last night would take care of that.

I was so nervous and so anxious to meet this doctor. I was afraid the she would judge me, not only on my marital status, but on my decision to put off seeking treatment for as long as I had.

Her office building was not too far away from Fangtasia. I was sure she would know the bar that my husband owned. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? I pulled up to the building and took in my surroundings. The car that was surveying me parked a safe distance away from me, giving me my privacy. I decided that I needed to hear Eric's voice. I called his cell phone and listen to his deep, manly voice give instructions to leave a message.

"Hi honey, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that I just got to the doctor's office. Oh, thanks for the security…maybe next time you should give me a heads up. I love you baby. You mean everything to me, that's all I wanted you to know. I hope you're dreaming of me. I can't wait to see you later tonight. I love you."

I walked towards the door and heard the footsteps of someone behind me. I spun on my heel to see a very large man dressed in a black suit, black sunglasses, black everything. Jesus, did this guy work for the secret service?

He stopped w hen I looked at him. I must have crouched into some type of attack position because he held his hand up to me, letting me know I was in no danger.

"Mrs. Northman, I work for your husband. I'm just here to see that you get inside and that nothing happens while you are at your appointment." He spoke very softly, making sure that I did not panic. I nodded and slowly turned back to walking, looking over my shoulder a couple of times as I did so.

I decided to take the stairs to the third floor. I felt great to be out and actually moving. The air around me was crisp and it was exciting. I had a spring to my step as I jogged my self up the flights of stairs. I think that big security dude would have liked for me to use the elevator.

I stood before the door to her office. I ran my fingers over her name plate that graced the entry way. 'Doctor Barbara Lester'. At least she sounded normal. I opened the door and peaked my head inside. There were no patients waiting in the waiting room. No people sitting in uncomfortable chairs waiting for their turn.

The air in my lungs escaped me and I almost began to panic. I walked through the door and heard it click behind me. A head popped into the receptionist area. A happy woman, probably about my age began talking to me, faster than I could process.

"You must be Sookie, I'm so happy to meet you. Dr. Lester will be so pleased to see you. She cleared her entire calendar this morning to meet with you. She is just so thrilled that you chose our little practice, please, please, come right in. Can I get you some coffee, tea, water, valium?" She laughed at her little shrink joke, it took me a minute before I heard it and had a belated chuckle.

"No, thank you…I brought my own." I held up my Styrofoam cup of coffee and smiled. I decided to be rude and drop my shields.

So this is the woman that Eric Northman married. I'll bet she's beautiful when she's healthy. I heard she was kidnapped. She's in the right place, I'm happy she's getting help. Barbie certainly helped me when I needed it.

Well, I had heard enough. This receptionist may know of Eric, but she didn't really know me. She was concerned for me, and she thought that I was in the best place to get help. I smiled a genuine smile at her, feeling good about my choice.

She left the office and I made my self comfortable on the plush couch, laughing to myself about the stereotypical furniture in this shrinks office. Couch, check. Plants, check. Window with a view, check. Big, impressive desk, check. Medical license on the wall, check.

I heard the door open and stood up, ready to meet this doctor. I turned to look at her and was amazed at what I saw. Or, I guess it would be more accurate to say what I didn't see. This doctor, this woman that came so highly recommended, was supposed to be my mental savior. She very well might be all of these things, but what she the one thing she was not, was human.

TBC…….