A/N: I apologize in advance, this chapter is a little dark, well maybe a lot dark but it had to be.

Previous Chapter

I was fucking pissed, beyond angry, this girls pain was fresh. Not that it lessoned what Sookie felt but with Sookie what I saw was a dullness behind it all, it was faded somehow. She'd had four years to deal with the pain and hadn't truly done that but in her own way had healed even just a little. She still held hope and happiness within her eyes, something that this girls eyes threatened to never hold again.

Whatever had happened to the young brunette was extremely recent, her wild yet dead eyes were a complete contradiction. They were raw, fresh, angry, scared. I don't know what I would have done, if I could have handled seeing Sookie at the same stage this girl was at. My heart would have broke. It hurts for this girl though.

I have no idea how I made it through my classes, my mind was elsewhere. I hadn't gotten around to texting Sookie after what happened and by the end of the day my anger had not dissipated. I had a few glasses of scotch in my office before leaving, normally if I indulged at all it was a single drink but I felt my day had earned me more.

I have no idea whether or not it was the best or worst of luck to fall upon me but just as I was heading home for the day, I noticed Leclerc himself walking in front of me and I followed…

Eric POV:

I have no clue what I am doing, why I am following this prick but I know there is a purpose to it, I can feel it. The fucker even slithers along as he walks, just like the fucking snake that he is.

For the life of me I can not get the terror I saw in that girls eyes out of my head and it is doing nothing but fuelling the fire that is burning within me. I watched as he entered a small house a short distance in front of me and took a moment to contemplate my next move.

I was determined to have a few words with him and even more determined to ensure that he would be staying the fuck away from Sookie. I had my head about me enough at the moment to realise that I needed to quickly compile a history for Sookie and myself, one that was believable enough that he would not piece our relationship together.

I couldn't care less what would happen to me if the University found out but Sookie was a different story, she was so close to graduating and didn't need the bullshit. I was just going to go with her being an old family friend, it was believable enough.

I knocked a few times and he still hadn't answered so I tried the door and to my surprise or maybe not it was open. Of course it was an animal such as himself would feel safe in his own home, only these women he violated would be left in fear. He'd gone after Sookie in her own home, she hadn't felt safe enough to return to it even once.

His home was small and the furnishings were scarce, it was obvious he was still getting settled. I could hear water running and knew the creep was in the shower, so I took a quick look around. He had videos sitting out that were labelled by first names only, the first names of women.

I picked up the one sitting on top, it was named Janice, and I slid it in the player after turning on the television and quickly muting it. The tape appeared to be part way through as though he had already been watching it, enjoying it.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. It was one of those things where you knew you should look away, almost had to look away and just couldn't. There she was the young brunette from today, on her hands and knees clawing at the mattress as though trying to climb away and his grimy fucking hands, one on her hip and the other over her shoulder while he was pounding quite violently into her. Tears were running down her face, I could tell by her expressions that she was crying out. There was blood quite obviously smeared across her backside and I could even see where some had run down her leg.

My stomach lurched and I very nearly threw up as I watched him pull himself from her… from her backside and give it smack. It was in that moment that I noticed the date stamping in the top corner, it was three days ago. His pipes clanged as he shut the water off and the sound set me back into action, with the television off and tape now left where I could grab it on my way out I found my way back to his bedroom and waited.

This was the room, he had brought her here. I recognised the headboard and the tacky blood red sheets. My mind was all over the fucking place, I knew he had taken my Sookie in the same way he had taken that girl, Janice. She now had a name. Something had to be done about him, he couldn't be let to walk the fucking streets, not anymore.

Sookie would hate herself if she came to find out what he had done to others after her, she would blame herself because she didn't report him. Didn't have his fucking ass put away. I had to find a way to convince her to change her mind, to look into doing now what she should have done then. I can't and won't hold it against her, she was a victim and she was scared to fucking death. I may not have seen it in her eyes four years ago but I sure as hell seen it in Janice's this morning. She ran. She wasn't going to speak either.

If I could find her, get them together maybe they would come forward, together. I heard as what I guess was the bathroom door open and stood to the side, waiting patiently. He walked into his room in nothing but a towel which he dropped when I startled him.

"Good evening, fucker." I growled at him.

His eyes bulged out of his head and he stood there naked, gaping at me. His nakedness didn't bother me, I'm swedish, I'm happy to spend half my time naked. What did bother me was having a front row view of the appendage that I would gladly rip from his fucking body.

"W-what the fuck are you doing in my house?" He stuttered while attempting to back away from me. He was a fucking runt of a man, standing a full head shorter than me and I grabbed him by the throat shoving him up against the wall.

"I came to watch some home movies with my brand new best fucking friend, what do you think I'm doing here asshole." He was scared, I could see it in his eyes but they still didn't reflect the same fear as hers.

"Listen carefully because I will only tell you this one time and one time only, I have a friend, a very old and dear family friend. She is family to me. You are to stay the fuck away from her, if I find out you so much as looked her fucking way I will find you and I will do to you what you have done to her." The fear in his eyes was slowly escalating.

"Sookie Stackhouse, you will do well to forget that you ever fucking knew her. Count your fucking blessings that I did not find out about this when it happened because , this air you now breath, is a luxury you would no longer have." Recognition flashed through his eyes at her name and he began to struggle against my hand a little, which only pissed me off.

"Do you understand what I am telling you?" He nodded.

"Stay away from Sookie." His voice was hoarse and he was barely able to get it out with the hold I had on his throat.

"That's a good fucking start but what will I do to you if I find out otherwise?" I ground out between gritted teeth.

"You'll hurt me." The little pussy whimpered.

"Hurt you, is an understatement, fucker. Let me spell it our for you." I spun the worthless piece of shit around and shoved his face into the wall. "This ass, I will own it" I hissed and squeezed his right ass cheek with such force that he cried out. "I will find you and I will take you, here, just like you took her, I will fuck you and this fucking mini sausage that you are working with is nothing compared to what I come equipped with." I was speaking the words and my hand had taken a hold of him, but it was like I was another person, a possessed man. The words I was speaking were unbelievable, the worst part being that I meant every last one of them. I would fucking hunt him down and quite literally split his fucking ass in two if he ever hurt her in any way again.

"Do we fucking understand each other?" I hissed over his shoulder and his body began to shake uncontrollably as he nodded profusely and tried shouting out that yes he understood.

"Good" I told him and used his own words on him. "Now do not force me to make good on my promise." I turned him back to me and the fucker pissed himself and inadvertently on me, what is with the fucking low lives I come into contact with and pissing on me.

I looked him in the eye and was quite content to see that he was silently fucking sobbing and successfully scared shitless. I kneed him in the groin when what I really wanted to do was punch his fucking face in but I wasn't leaving any obvious physical evidence behind. I let him slump to his bedroom floor and walked towards the door before turning back.

"Oh and by the way if I have to come back, not only will I fuck your ass but I will rip your fucking dick off. Do not go anywhere near Sookie, Janice or anyone else you're sick fucking ass has touched."

I walked out grabbing Janice's tape, I couldn't help them all and I didn't even know what I could do for this one girl but she had touched me and I felt the need to protect her however I could, and today that was by taking his fucking souvenir of her.

I went home, put the tape in my safe for some unknown reason. After I showered I had this uncontrollable need to see Sookie but I knew if I did she would see right through me. I was too angry and just not in the right place to be around her, she had enough negativity in her world and didn't need this.

I sent off a quick text 'Good night, Lover. I love you' and was out cold the second my head hit the pillow.

I woke up in a cold sweat to find it was only after two in the morning. This was the first night that I dreamt of him… and My Sookie. I was gasping for air and choking on what little I was managing to take in, after seeing that tape and the memory of Sookie's words as she spoke of the events of that night. I now had a clear visual, I wanted to gouge my eyes out and would have if I thought it could rid me of the images.

I didn't manage to get anymore sleep, I was afraid to close my eyes again. My dream, it was so vivid. As though I actually stood there watching, unable to step in, unable to stop it from happening, unable to protect her.

I once again get through my day on cruise control, I speak, I read, I ask and answer questions but I see and feel nothing. I am not myself after last nights dream and I know in both my mind and heart that I need to let this go before I lose my mind, I just don't know how.

I feel horrible comparing myself to… them, his victims but I wonder if this is even maybe just a fraction of what they felt because I can't for the life of me get rid of that fucking image. My chest is tight and seriously fucking hurts, and still I can hardly breathe.

His victims… I am doing them a serious injustice by referring to them as his anything, much less victims. They are survivors, yes, survivors that is what they are. Not his survivors, not his victims, not his anything. Just simply survivors.

A few more glasses of scotch today and I am on my way, another night of hell. A bottle of wine later and I consider calling Pam because I need someone to hold me, but I can't. She wants something more from me and I can't give it. Not to her. Sookie already owns it, my mind, body, heart and soul are hers. My pride stops me from letting her hold me, I don't want her to see me broken and then what do I say 'Oh baby, you see the problem is I am dreaming and seeing images of that piece of fucking shit as he rapes and beats you because I watched part of a video of him actually doing it, oh and by the way do you know if he filmed yours because I never thought to look through his stash for it, oh and also the video and the girl they were after you' but what she'll hear is 'the video and the girl were because of you' I know her and I won't let her put that blame on herself.

No, not fucking likely.

I can't help but wonder how Sookie or any other actually got through their ordeal, I simply caught a glimpse of it and it is eating me alive. I can only assume that it has more to do with my attachment to Sookie and hearing her words echoing in my mind over and over. Did she nearly go off her head with these thoughts and images or well, in her case they were memories.

Yes, I imagine she did come close to crazy and now I can only praise her, hold her in the highest regard seeing how well she is now coping. She did it her way and I had no business questioning her choices, her reasoning. Not that I did entirely, I just questioned her way of dealing with what happened, with the aftermath.

I finally drift off and wake in much the same way, I think I am having a panic attack. I know I can not get through another day without her and tomorrow I have to see her, she is probably livid with me. God, it's been days since I have seen her. I text her but when she texts back I haven't replied. I wonder did she do this, shut everyone out, not really live.

Of course she did, until me she had not let another touch her. Not intimately.

I get through one more day of classes and finish off my scotch and once again head home. My house isn't really a home, I know that now. Home was in Louisiana with Sookie and now I am just… here. I sit in the dark and go over the last week.

I have returned from a trip home with the woman I love, where I had experienced the most wonderful days of my life even given the secrets I had learned from Sookie's past, I have watched as a woman that had been traumatized by a monster was threatened by said monster, I have watched part of the video of said woman being violated by said monster, I have threatened to violate said monster myself.

Does that make me no better than him? I have no idea but I do know that I am done. I have finally had enough and my body shakes violently as I release the pent up sobs, I need her, I need her with me, now. I sit silently as I listen to her phone ringing in my ear, only it's not only in my ear but coming from my front door.

It makes no sense I know, but there is seriously a ringing coming from my front porch.

"Hello" She finally answers as I pull open my door, and there she stands.

Somehow she has found her way to me in the moment that I needed her most… Fate.

"Hello" I respond, looking into her sad, red rimmed swollen eyes. We have both been lost and now are found. She lunges at me and for a moment I almost expect Pam to step up to the door because this feels so familiar. I smile for the first time in days because my love is in my arms.

I sleep a dreamless sleep for the first time in days because my love is my arms…

A/N: Whew... ok so I was and still am a little nervous about this chapter, I actually decided to tone it down jus a little. It is definitely a drastically different side to Eric but it was a lot for him to take in. Sorry for all the cursing... lol but when Eric gets upset he has a potty mouth! Also, the reason I started out with so much of the previous chapter was because I wanted to ensure that we all knew where Eric's state of mind was coming from. Hopefully it was not too 'dark' for most readers.

A/N: All characters belong to Charlaine Harris.