A/N: Well, I guess those offerings to the Muses worked 'cause I managed to get another chapter written quickly. Well, it was either that or the threats I was getting for ending the last chapter where I did. You can thank the ladies at the Sookieverse for getting this out tonight. I was feeling a little peevish, and thinking I may hold out a few more days, but between the wine and the pressure from those ladies, I succumbed. So give them your thanks.

Once again my deepest thanks go out to Kristin and Gallathea, the most incredible betas a girl could have. Oh, and Galla, you were so right about that emotional bone.

I had a good question from FaithfulFanFictionFan: "so the obvious is why didn't Hot Rain and why didn't Sutherfield pick on...the noise (since Hot Rain is vampire) and Sutherfield (since he can hear Sookie's thoughts/warnings to Eric)...hm?"

Great question, FFFF! First of all, Sookie was working really hard to block what was happening with Eric, and Craig was working really hard on torturing her, so he wasn't picking up anything from her. However, I did already plan for that somewhat as you will read below. As for Hot Rain . . . the estate is large, and the fighting was going on out front. That said, I'd like to think it was because he was so pushed over the edge, and so concentrated on what was happening with Sookie, so utterly consumed with his vengeance, it made him sloppy and he just wasn't paying enough attention.

I hope that answers things for you. I try to pay attention to detail, so I enjoy it when readers are observant like that!

Oh, and I think this is my longest chapter, ever, in any fic. I think. So no more complaints about how short it is! LOL!

I have to say, I was surprised at how few of you seem to have any self-defense techniques! Ladies, (and any gents reading this) please get yourselves to a self-defense course! Horrible things don't just happen to Sookie, they happen in the real world. Give yourself a fighting chance. *steps off soapbox*

And without further ado . . .

Chapter 20

I started to feel a rising panic. I knew Eric was just outside the door, and terror clutched at me with the thought . . . no, certainty, of what Craig could do to him. I now knew that Craig was not bluffing when he said he could read and affect vampires. I saw it in his mind, and felt the panic rise in my gut.

At the last second, Craig's head swung to the door. It burst open, and I had a moment to see Eric, Pam, and that other vampire I didn't know. Then . . . silence. You know how in a movie, sometimes the action sequences are in slow-motion and without sound? Like a film reel gone bad? Or stop action? That's how it felt.

I could see everything, like it was slowed down, even though I know the vampires were moving much faster than that. I know that I screamed Eric's name, and I know that I saw all four of the vampires drop to their knees, howling in pain. In my little corner of Craig's mind, I saw exactly what he was doing, and it was costing him a lot, so I took a chance and struck back.

There was not much I could do. I was not in any sort of shape, physically or mentally, to put up much of a fight, but I knew I had to give Eric and Pam a chance. The backlash from Craig was painful, and left me dizzy; however, I did remain conscious.

That is how I saw what happened next. It was sudden the way time sped up. One minute everything was in slow motion and the next, there was screaming, and blood spraying. It was loud and overwhelming, and if I wasn't hyper-aware of him, I would not have seen Craig slip out through a hidden door.

I saw Craig's Master recover first, probably because Craig hadn't really been targeting him. What Craig did was sort of like throwing out a wave. It was aimed at Eric, but its edges caught the others. I screamed as I watched that black-haired vampire's sword come down toward Eric's unprotected head, and then I felt blood hit my face as the vampire I later learned was called Ian, launched himself between them. I heard him call out a name just before his body began to disintegrate.

Eric used the moment to his advantage, and the next thing I knew, Craig's employer was howling as Eric sliced through both of his legs at the knees. He fell to the floor with a sickening thud, and I heard Eric say something to Pam, as my world began to become very dark.

I recall bits and pieces of what happened next. I was in a car, in Eric's arms. I know there were voices, but I don't think I understood any of the words. I think I said, "You came," and I think I heard him reply, "of course my love," before everything went black. Then I felt softness, a bed? The last thing I recall was hearing Eric's voice say, "Drink Sookie, you must drink." I think I did, but I don't remember any of it.

When I finally woke up, it was daylight. Amelia was asleep in the chair next to the bed. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. At the sound of my movement, Amelia jumped up.

"Oh my God! Sookie!" She yelped, and immediately jumped up to give me a hug. I involuntarily flinched away from her. I couldn't take it. For one thing, just her touch made me feel disgusting. For another, she was the loudest broadcaster I knew, and contact made it worse. I could see all of the things she was imagining in her head, about what happened to me, and she wasn't far off the mark on most of them. I shuddered.

"Please Amelia," I whispered. "Please stop." I was whimpering now, holding my head in my hands. "Please get out."

"Sookie?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. "Sookie honey, what do you need? Just tell me."

"Get out!" I shouted. "Just get out!" I was sobbing now, but I saw Amelia flee from the room. I know she meant well, but I was totally worn out and utterly incapable of putting up my shields. Frankly, at the time, I was not sure I ever would be able to again. It was a terrifying prospect.

Apparently the commotion alerted everyone, and the next thing I knew, I had a couple of shifters in my room, trying to figure out where the next attack was coming from. Suddenly, my brain was full of snarling, red-tinged thoughts. Sam's were the worst. Like Amelia, he's always been a loud broadcaster, for one of the two-natured, and I could feel his horror and pity. I thought I was going to throw up.

He ran over to me, and tried to pull me into his arms, "There, there chère," he said as he tried to soothe me, but all he did was make it worse. I began to scream hysterically. I couldn't breathe, and I gasped for air over and over, and then suddenly I leaned over and retched on the floor. I heard someone calling for a doctor, and just before my vision faded once more, I saw the familiar face of Dr. Ludwig.

Beeping. Incessant beeping. That is what woke me the next time. I opened my eyes to see that sometime while I was unconscious, I'd been hooked up to an I.V. It was also dark outside, and I realized I was not alone in the room. Eric. I felt calm and comfort course through the bond to me, and it helped somewhat.

"Sookie." His voice belied the calm I felt through the bond. It was raw with emotion; relief, pain, love, anger, all bottled up inside. He didn't rush up to me, instead staying carefully against the wall across from me.

"Eric." I looked up at his beautiful face.

"May I?" He asked, as he gestured to the chair by the bed.

I nodded my approval, and he sat down.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you for coming for me. You shouldn't have risked it though. Craig is so dangerous. He nearly . . ." my sobs cut me off. "You were nearly killed Eric! What were you thinking barging in like that? Couldn't you feel my warning? What if something had happened to you?"

"Shhhh, Sookie." He reached out his fingers to brush away my tears, and I cringed. I cringed from Eric. The only refuge I'd had the entire time I was with Craig, and now he'd stolen it from me. All I'd hoped for when Craig had me was to be safe in Eric's arms again, and now the very thought of his touch brought bile to my throat. Besides, why would he want to touch me? Why would he want me? I'd been defiled. I wasn't clean, and it felt like I never would be again. I was disgusted with myself, and he would be too.

"Please don't touch me." I whispered. I saw the pain flit across his face, but he withdrew his hand. "Where are we?"

"This is the home of Alair Barton, the sheriff of London. He is a friend of Felipe's."

I looked at the I.V. questioningly.

"You've been asleep for two days. Dr. Ludwig said you needed to be kept hydrated."

I nodded in understanding. "Two days?"

"Yes. On and off. You were brought here the night before last. You did wake up yesterday morning, when you saw Amelia, but since then you've slept until now." He hesitated, as if unsure how to phrase what came next. "How do you feel? Physically I mean. I got you to drink from me before you lost all consciousness. If you are still in pain, I can give you more."

I shuddered at the thought of such intimate touching. Eric must have understood, because he said, "I could put it in a glass."

I tried to smile at him, although I think it was more of a grimace. "Thank you Eric, but I'm okay." No, I wasn't okay. I didn't think I'd ever be okay again, but Eric's blood had healed my wounds. Physically, I just felt weak and tired, probably from the lack of food over the last several days.

"Who is he, the vampire that hired Craig?"

Eric tensed slightly at my question, and then answered. "Hot Rain." He waited a beat to see if I processed the information, and when he saw that I did, he continued. "He is currently being held by Barton. We are having a slight disagreement about jurisdiction." He was mad. Mad enough that it managed to slip past the tight hold he had on his emotions, letting me feel it through the bond. He wanted to get his hands on Hot Rain.

Hot Rain, the vampire that sent Charles Twinning after me. The vampire that sired Longshadow, and had apparently loved him so much, that Longshadow's death had completely unhinged him. Of all the scenarios I imagined during my captivity, this one had never crossed my mind. I believed Eric had resolved the issue already after Twinning's failed attempt on my life. It never occurred to me that a vampire could feel so deeply, particularly about another vampire.

Eric must have sensed my train of thought because he said, "I told you once that vampires rarely mate with each other, and that the sharing of sex and blood gives them a power over each other. I underestimated the depth of Long Shadow's and Hot Rain's connection."

I was almost afraid to ask the next question. "Craig?"

Eric's face became even stonier. "Sutherfield escaped. When we were . . . incapacitated," he chose his word carefully, "he slipped out through a secret door. By the time we were able to follow, he had disappeared. Alcide thought he heard a motorcycle, but they were still fighting with the guards, so he could not go investigate."

I tried to quell the panic in my belly. I had seen Craig slip away, but I had hoped against hope that one of them had managed to capture him. Instead, he was out there somewhere, and he still wanted me. I shuddered.

Then I did a mental tally in my head. Sam, Calvin, and Amelia had been in my room today. I had seen Pam in the room with Eric and Hot Rain. The other vampire had been killed. That left three unaccounted for.

"Eric, where are Bill, Sandy, and Alcide?"

He sat forward slightly, his elbows on his knees. "They are here. They were injured, but they will heal. They are getting what they need to make that happen." Meaning the vampires were being supplied with fresh blood, most likely from willing donors, although I had no idea what the laws and customs were for English vampires.

"How bad, Eric?"

I could see he did not want to tell me, but I think he knew I wouldn't rest until he did. "Bill went down when a Were bit his leg, but while he was down, both his arms were severed." He stopped, I think because in addition to blanching, I gagged and nearly vomited again. I could see him fight his urge to put his arms around me. I felt his frustration across the bond as well. When I calmed down a bit, I looked at him to continue. "Sandy lost an eye . . . and a hand. Alcide was shot, in the thigh, but he is a full Were; he will recover quickly."

"And the vampire that died?" That was when I learned Ian's name. "He said something right before he died. It sounded like a name."

Eric looked surprised. I don't know if he was surprised that I remembered, or surprised at what Ian said, but he said, "Ciara."

"Who is she?"

Eric looked pained, and I could tell he wanted to avoid telling me, but I pressed him. "Eric, please. I need to know everything."

So he told me. He told me of Ian and Ciara, and of the tragedy in Switzerland. He told me of Ian's hope of finding her once more, a dream that was now ended. I didn't know if I still believed in God. I certainly didn't know if vampires had souls. I did, however, offer up a silent prayer to whoever was listening, for Ian and Ciara, so that they might meet in whatever afterlife there may be.

I closed my eyes. There was so much pain and suffering, and all because of me. I knew they would heal, and the vampires would re-grow their missing parts, but I also remember Eric telling me about Sophie-Ann, and how painful it was. I felt unbidden tears slip down my cheeks. "Too much." I whispered. "Too high a price."

"No, Sookie. I would pay any price to have you safe. Any price." He repeated, and then he could not resist any longer. He gathered me to his chest, and kissed my head, and I could feel love radiate across the bond. For a brief moment I basked in the glow, and it was like being bathed in light. But only for a moment, before the panic set in, and I was beating at his chest, begging him not to touch me. I was like a moth trapped in a lamp, frantically beating its wings against the glass, while slowly being burned.

I couldn't take his touch. I didn't want to be touched, especially by a man. Even Eric, and that broke my heart. Eric had once told me I was spoiled for humans. Well, at that moment, I believed Craig spoiled me for everyone else.

Eric let go of me quickly, concern creasing his face. "Let me get Dr. Ludwig."

"No. No. It's okay. I just . . . I need to use the restroom, and I'd like to wash up." I think he may have winced, as I yanked the I.V. out of my arm. I tried to stand up, but lost my balance and had to grab hold of the edge of the bed. I was even weaker and more malnourished than I thought. In an instant he was at my side, but I recoiled from him. I felt understanding flood the bond. I wasn't sure if I was glad that he understood what I was feeling, or horrified that he knew what I was feeling. "I'm sorry Eric. I just . . . can't," and my voice broke. After a moment, I continued. "The entire time he had me, I prayed you would find me. I knew you would find me. I never doubted you." Another sob tore through me, but I angrily wiped the tears from my face. "I don't know where all of this leaves us. Hell, I don't even know who I am anymore. Please just give me some time, okay?"

His face betrayed nothing, but I felt his love and compassion. He just looked at me, and then I heard him say, "Pam!"

The door opened, and Pam walked in, and as her eyes found me, I could swear I saw relief dart across her features, before they resumed their usual disinterested look. "Yes Eric."

"Would you please help Sookie to the restroom? She must see to some of her human needs, and would like to shower."

"Of course." She turned to me. "C'mon Sookie." She put her arm around my waist, and although I was not comfortable with the contact, it did not cause me to react the same way as when one of the men touched me. Plus, since she was a vampire, her mind was not projecting to me the way Amelia's did.

"Thank you, Pam."

"Anytime Sookie."

I think I used up all the hot water in London during that shower. Pam finally reached in and turned it off when she smelled the blood. I had not even realized it, but I had scrubbed myself raw in an attempt to rid myself of Craig. I silently allowed her to dry me and then help me put on my clothes. She even brushed out my hair for me.

When we walked back into the room, Eric was in downtime, but he snapped to as soon as we entered. I saw him sniff the air, and I know he recognized the scent of my blood, but he didn't press me on it.

"I'd like to see everyone," I said. "I need to thank them, and apologize for earlier."

"You don't have to do that my love, not until you are ready. They understand." I recoiled from his use of the endearment, and all its implications. I couldn't understand how he could still call me that. I felt too disgusting. Once more, I cursed Craig for ruining the one thing that I had clung to the entire time he had me.

"I do Eric. I have to. Just," I paused, "please ask them not to think so loudly? I can't really put up my shields right now . . . that's what happened yesterday morning. I was totally overwhelmed by everyone's thoughts."

Eric nodded. "That's what Dr. Ludwig surmised, and she has already spoken to them."

"Okay, then let's do this." Once again, Pam helped to steady me, as we walked down a hallway, then down some stairs. They were all downstairs, except for Bill. Him I would have to speak to later, as he was not conscious right now. Dr. Ludwig was keeping him sedated. Alcide had a bandage on his leg; Sandy wore an eye patch, and her hand was rather loosely covered in some sort of bandage. I suppose to give it room to grow.

Amelia was sitting next to Sam, and I could tell she had been crying. Calvin was standing across the room. I could feel their concern, and occasionally a random thought from Amelia, but to their credit, the three humans were doing a good job of not projecting at me.

"I just wanted to thank you. All of you," I was interrupted by several voices all declaring that my thanks were unnecessary. "Please," I held up my hand, "let me finish." They quieted down. "In Brazil, when I saw all of you," a sob threatened to break free and I took a breath, "you don't know . . . it gave me such hope. It helped me stay alive. It helped me keep fighting." By now my voice was nearly a whisper, as I struggled not to break down in front of everyone. "Thank you."

Amelia tried to come up to me again, to hug me, but Pam blocked her and shook her head. As I turned to head back upstairs, I heard her whisper to Amelia, "no touching, she can't . . ." but that was all I heard.

Except for one stray thought, that seemed to come from all of them at once. Dear God, what did he do to her, and how do we fix it?

I wanted to know the answer to that question myself, but right, then I had to settle for going back to sleep.

A/N: So, how do they fix it?