The smell of blood was everywhere, they were like sacrificial lambs. They were vulnerable and weak. They lay wrapped in each others arms, completely lifeless. Anyone or anything could dispose of both of them without an effort.

Bill was driving towards Bon Temps from visiting a vampire colleague in Shreveport. He was focused on getting home, but something inside of him was telling him to turn around. He had a sudden feeling of pain and helplessness. He had no idea where it was coming from, he only new that there was something not right.

Bill had her blood so many times, but she had only taken his a couple of times. It was so long ago…could he still feel her? He was uncertain of what was happening, he only knew that he needed to pick up the pace. Bill didn't even know where he was going, his senses carried him.

The smell of blood entered his nose, it was more than vampire blood. He smelled her and he abruptly realized that what he was going to find was not good. He was still a good distance away from Fangtasia…the smell of blood that strong meant there was a lot of it. He drove and pressed the accelerator down as far as it would go. Bill knew that if he got pulled over by the police he would need to kill the officer so he could continue on his mission.

Bill flew into the parking lot at about ninety miles an hour and slammed on his breaks. His fangs fully extended when he saw the blood before him. He saw them, laying on the ground, not moving. He leapt from the car and tried to keep his blood lust in check.

She was covered in blood, she was almost unrecognizable. She was alive, he could smell her and hear her faint heart beat. Eric was still with him also, but he could see how weak he was. Never had Bill seen him in such a defenseless state. If Bill ever wanted to separate he and Sookie now was his chance. All he would have to do was go into the bar and find something to use as a stake. Bill contemplated this and looked at the two of them.

She was wrapped around him, still clenching him even as she lay passed out. She was so fragile and helpless, but she still clung to him. Bill looked and saw that his arm was wrapped around her waist, still cradling her to his body. At that moment Bill knew that she was truly Eric's. They were willing to die in each others arms, they looked like one being as they lay on the ground.

Their golden hair was the color of old blood. It was hard to tell which hair belonged to him and what was hers. Their bloody bodies entwined, Bill couldn't separate her blood from his. The combination covered them both. She was a part of him, just as he was a part of her. Bill could never cause her so much hurt by removing him permanently. He grabbed his phone and made a call. He crouched down next to their bodies. He was going to protect them until help arrived.

The smell of their blood was so intense that he was sure some other creatures had caught the scent. Bill blocked their bodies and waited for anything to attack. The least he could do was protect her…he would not allow her to be hurt again.

Help swiftly arrived, but it was not in the form of a blaring ambulance. It was in the form of the tiny but familiar Dr Ludwig. She surveyed the damage and instructed Bill to carry her inside. Bill did not need to worry about getting into the building, Eric had done quite a number on the door in his charge to get to her. The tiny doctor waited beside Eric as Bill carried her into the office.

Bill came back out to retrieve him, his body was enormous and difficult to maneuver. He wondered where Pam was while this was happening.

Dr Ludwig came in behind them and was barking orders at Bill. He retrieved the bottles of blood that she requested, the t-shirts from the gift counter, the bar towels from the storage closet. Bill's eyes focused on her broken, bloody body. It was so long ago that he had watched this same doctor bring her back from death's door, but could she do it again?

The doctor ran her fingers over her body and spoke in a tongue that not even Bill could understand. Bill had a hard time watching her, he did not want to see her death. Never had he wanted to see her death.

The fact that Pam was not there began to eat away at his mind. Bill began pacing in the office and talking to himself. He took out his phone and called Pam. He needed an explanation.

She actually answered, she felt it was a good idea to tell Compton that she and Eric had parted ways. Just another lie to weave in her plan. Little did Pam know that what she was working to avoid was in the process of happening.

"Pam, where the hell are you?" Bill hissed and screamed into the phone. He paused as he listened to Pam explain where she was. "You listen to me. Sookie is hurt, badly. Pam I do not think she is going to make it. Eric is in bad shape too. I can't really tell what happened, but if the parking lot is any indication…he tried to give her his blood. He lost a lot of blood Pam." Bill's eyes widened with rage. "I don't know what kind of shit story you're spewing Pam but this is bad. This is very bad and you need to get your ass here to help!" Bill's anger was boiling over. "Pam…Pam?!" She had hung up on Bill, and he didn't think it was to rush to their side.

Bill didn't know what to think, he knew that Pam would never, ever leave Eric. What was she telling him about being banished and going to Victor? He mustn't have heard her correctly. Bill was sure that Pam would be faithful to Eric until her final death. There was something not right, Pam was not right. Bill turned his eyes back to the doctor and waited for something to do.

"Get that blood into him, now." Synthetic blood was not the best for replacing what was lost, but it would have to do. Bill walked over to him and shook him, slapped at his face and yelled.

"Eric, god damn it. Open your fucking mouth you son of a bitch!" Bill thought that Eric of all people would most likely respond to insults. "You stupid Viking, she's dying. Open your god damn mouth!" Bill could feel him start to stir. It was like trying to wake a vampire during the day.

Bill stuck a straw in Eric's mouth and screamed for him to drink. He continued to slap him and bring him out of his weakened state. "Faster, drink faster!" Bill was still yelling, trying to make him concentrate on what needed to be done. He suddenly realized that Eric would have better than True Blood. He was planning on getting married in just a couple of days. Eric would have ordered some specialty blends and would have had them delivered here.

Bill ran towards the liquor room and didn't let the locked door stop him. He pulled it from the frame and frantically searched. Bill just had a feeling that there was treasure to be found. He spotted the crate in the back corner. It contained the best money could buy. This was a mixture of pure human blood mixed with a small amount of synthetic. It was still not legal to carry full human blends, you couldn't even import it into the country.

Bill grabbed the crate and ran back to his side. He uncorked the first bottle and held it under Eric's nose. He instantly caught the scent and reached for the bottle. Bill watched as he swallowed all of the contents. He uncorked another and waited for him to grab it. As he drank, Bill fixed his eyes back on the doctor.

She was working feverishly to help her. Her skin was almost gray, she was so completely hurt. Eric finished the second bottle and dropped the empty. He looked at Bill and was confused. He didn't know what had happened to him. Last thing he remembered was holding her and feeling her pull his blood into her body.

His eyes searched the room, he was panicking. He saw her sprawled out on the floor, the doctor working on her. He darted to his feet and ran towards them. He fell to the floor and laid beside her. He smoothed her blood matted hair and whispered in her ear.

"Stay with me my love. We are almost there, you can stay strong. Stay with me, do not leave me." His voice was so low that the doctor couldn't hear his plea's. She injected something into her body and yelled for Bill to bring her a bottle of the blood that he had just provided Eric.

"She has had too much of your blood, you can not give her anymore…not unless you have decided to turn her?" The doctor was almost asking as though that was the best option.

"No, that is not her wish. I told her that I would not turn her. I will not turn her unless she asks and fully understands what she is requesting." He didn't take his eyes off of her.

"She has lost a lot of blood, but the amount that you gave her is healing her inside wounds. The bullets contained silver, I can smell it in her flesh. Bullets that contain silver cause more damage to the tissue. It will take longer than usual for her to heal. You did the right thing…I can only assume that it was you that removed the bullets?" The doctor sounded happy with her finding.

"Yes, I did not want the wounds to heal with the shots inside of her. There is still another bullet in her shoulder. I needed to start getting blood into her, I knew that the shoulder wound was not fatal." He was calm, but he could not tear his eyes away from her body.

"Eric, why is Pam not here?" Bill's voice was icy as she broke his silence. Eric ignored the question and kept up with his rubbing of her hair. "Where is Pam, I called her to tell her…she didn't sound like she cared. What the hell is going on?" Bill demanded an answer even though he knew enough not to make demands of his sheriff.

"Pam is working on a special mission…for us." He knew that he was going to have to tell the story. "Madden purchased a contract on Sookie's life, well on either one of our lives. But, it was the intent to take her. He wants to overtake our Area and he thought that it was best to hurt me by hurting her." He needed to say no more about the assassination plan.

"And Pam is doing what exactly?" Bill was having a hard time listening to the tale.

"She went to Victor with a story about me hurting her and banishing her from the Area. She made up a story that involved a reason for her to run to the enemy in the hopes that she would be able to find out who was trying to get to Sookie. Victor believed her, she is in his compound." He still was focused on his love. He watched as the doctor poured the exotic blend down her throat.

She massaged her neck in order to get the fluid down. She kept this up for the next hour, the longest most agonizing hour of his life. When she stopped she injected her again with some type of medication. She turned to look at Eric and nodded.

"What are you doing? She is still hurt, what do we do now?" Eric's voice was desperate for an explanation and an instruction. He was willing to do anything the doctor asked of him. His eyes dripped with red as the doctor looked at him, expressionless.

"Now all we can do is wait." The doctor tilted her head and walked away.

TBC…