Hi guys! You're still here? Whew!

So, the last chapter incited some pretty passionate reviews! Which is great, I love it! I love differing opinions. Everyone gets something different out of what they read. My author's note at the end of last chapter was my opinion; you can have your own. But please remember that everyone will find significance in different story elements and scenes and everyone might come up with a completely different but no less valid interpretation. Basically, just be polite please. We are all different— seriously, read the reviews if you want to see how differently everyone thinks! :)

Now onto the story!

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SOOKIE

Walking to the T station crying–trying not to sob–alone at night garners a lot of unwanted attention. Everyone I pass either watches me as I walk towards them and then turns to watch me walk away, or stops me to ask if I'm alright. As I say for the third time that I am fine, I wish I could just hug the nice looking woman who asks me and sob on her shoulder. I can't wait to be home. I hope someone is still up to let me cry to them.

I never felt so devastated after fighting with Bill. I never loved Bill like I love Eric. Eric, I have never seen him so angry. I have never been scared of him until tonight. Never wondered what he may do– not to me, maybe, except when he stopped me from opening the closet door, but he looked like he wanted to destroy something. And then when I asked him to move away from me, to stop towering over me, he did and he looked, well, just unstable. Angry but sad, and tired–so tired. In that instance I just wanted to hold him, to cradle him and stroke him and whisper against his skin. But he wanted me to go. And I know I wanted to leave when I was uncomfortable but when he looked like that— that tired, that upset, that...broken, I wanted to stay and comfort him. Then he moved back from me when I reached for him. And maybe I should have insisted on staying so we could talk but when he said he wanted to go to bed and he would call me tomorrow like it was nothing that we had plans to sleep together, I just got mad. I was mean to him. I know that. I should not have told him he needed to get himself together before he texted me. I should have just left nicely but it hurt that he didn't want to sleep with me, when he told me that he sleeps so much better when I'm there. I have missed him all week and was looking forward to lying next to him in bed, to wrapping my arms around him and feeling his body close to mine. I miss the warmth of him, the smell of him, the sound of him breathing.

My stop.

I look up and everybody around me looks quickly away from me. That's when I realize tears are streaming down my face. I had managed to stop crying before I boarded my train but in my reflection of the night, my tears unknowingly started again. Damn it. I must look like a freak. My face heats up and I give my onlookers a small smile as I vacate my seat.

"Amelia!" I call out as soon as I reach my suite.

"Sookie?" she says, coming out of her room, "I thought you were–what's wrong, sweetie?"

"Amelia," I blubber, throwing my arms around her and burying my face in her shoulder, finally letting myself sob.

"Sookie, what happened? Are you okay?" she says, hugging me back. She walks me toward her room and sits us on her bed. I'm still attached to her side.

"Eric...we had a...fight!" I say between sobs.

"Oh, sweetie!"

"He wanted...me to...leave!" I say, drawing out the syllable in my last word until it sounds like a wail.

"Oh no! Why?"

"He was...I don't know... just so upset," I choke out.

"Do you want some water? Soda?...Vodka?" she says, which makes me smile a little.

"Is there any sweet tea left?" I say, feeling slightly better, but if they drank all my tea, I will sob again, I know I will.

"Let me see. If it's gone, I'm bringing you vodka."

She brings me a big glass of tea and I sip it and sigh. This little taste of home makes me feel a little better.

"Tell me what happened?" Amelia asks.

"We had a fight and he got really angry and started yelling at me and I said I was leaving and then he told me maybe I should. But I just wanted to leave because he was scary and then he looked so sad that I wanted to help him feel better but he said he had a bad day and wanted to go to bed. But he was supposed to go to bed with me," I say, starting to cry again. I know I'm rambling and I know I sound pathetic but I just miss him. I haven't been in his bed since Tuesday and that was just for an hour. It was such a busy week I just wanted to snuggle up to him, kiss his chest, and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the sex I thought we'd be having right now.

"Sookie, were you scared that he would hurt you? Because, if so, I'm glad you left!"

"No, no, I don't really think he would hurt me...well, maybe I did at the time. He came up behind me when I said I wanted to leave and he blocked me in, next to the wall. He was just so angry. But I don't realistically think he would really hurt me even though he did make me nervous. He moved away as soon as I asked him to. Amelia, he's not a bad guy, please don't be mad at him. I don't know what happened to him today but he came home all out of sorts and I shouldn't have believed he was just tired like he said. I don't know why he doesn't tell me things, though. That's the biggest problem. He could have told me he had a shitty day and that he just wanted to go to bed and I would have gone with him and held him and made him feel better. He could have told me...well, he just could have told me a lot more than he did." Amelia doesn't know anything about Eric being harassed and I don't think he would want her to.

"So, what are you going to do? Fighting is pretty normal. Are you guys going to be okay?"

"Oh, yes! I told him that I'd be busy all day tomorrow but the truth is, I would call him right now if I thought he was awake. But he said he was going to bed. He seemed so, I don't know, unsettled. But he didn't tell me why, Amelia. I feel like he never tells me anything. I have to pull everything out of him. I have to fight for every piece of him."

"So stop."

"Stop? But he's hurting and he needs to talk."

"Sookie, it's not your job to fix him. If he doesn't want to talk, then maybe you should just leave him alone."

"But this whole thing tonight was because he didn't talk to me. How can I help him if I just leave him alone?"

"I don't know. But there is only so much you can do. You're not a therapist, he's your boyfriend not your project."

"Amelia, that's not really fair. I love him and I want him to feel better. I can't stand his sadness and the way he gets so down on himself."

"Sookie, just love him then, if you love him. Love him without trying to fix him. Tell him what you need from him and let him tell you what he needs. Maybe he just wants to be able to escape things with you. He doesn't want to think about his past."

"But he's been not thinking about his past for his whole life. It's causing problems for him and now for us. How can I just...how am I supposed to ignore that? I know what good talking did for me. I know I am so much better off because of the help I got. I just want the same for him."

"I know, Sookie. You want to help everyone you see who needs help. But maybe he doesn't want help. Maybe he's not ready for help right now. Did you ask him if he wants your help? Did you tell him that you think he needs to talk things out."

"No," I sigh. "I yelled at him to sit down and listen to me."

"You did?" She looks surprised because that's not usually my style. "And did you help him?"

"I don't know. Maybe a little." Did I help him? Does he believe he's a good father now? I don't really know. What I do know is that he started having nightmares about his father right after that. Is that because I pushed him? Shit.

"Well, you don't have to take my advice but I think you should back off and just let him be. Love him through whatever he needs to be loved through but don't try to fix him. It's up to you, though Sookie. You also don't want to be fighting because he doesn't tell you things. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Amelia. I hope so."

"Hey no problem. What are friends for? But we should get to bed so we can get our spa on tomorrow! Girl, we are going to have the best time on your boyfriend's dime! Ooh! I'm a poet!" she says laughing and for some reason that is the funniest thing I've ever heard. I start laughing like a lunatic and fall back on her bed.

"Did I mess up and put actual Vodka in your glass? Get up you weirdo. Get ready for bed and don't think about Eric. Just think of all the fun we're going to have tomorrow! Spa morning and bar hopping night! Woo hoo! I can't wait!"

I return to my room, still chuckling and quickly get myself ready for bed. As I climb into my cold bed that does not contain a warm, mostly naked Swedish god, I feel sad for a minute but being emotionally overloaded wore me out and sleep quickly takes me.

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ERIC

As I look at my clock for the hundredth time and see that it's only been twenty minutes and it's now only two o'clock in the morning, I sigh and hit my pillow and turn over...again. I can't sleep. If Sookie was here, I'd be spooned up against her soft skin with my face in her hair, happily oblivious to the ache in my chest and the emptiness in my stomach. Emptiness because I haven't eaten but also because the light feeling that Sookie always gives me is gone. The happiness I always feel thinking about how much she loves me is gone. The peace I feel in her presence is gone. Replaced by a vacuous feeling of despair, a feeling like I can't describe—empty.

I should have pulled her upstairs and into my bed. I should have held her and kissed her and apologized. I should have told her I love her. I should have at least told her I love her. I feel the sting of tears in my eyes and I hold them back. I will not cry and feel sorry for myself. I will not wallow in self pity about a situation I created. But the ache, my heart aches, each breath is a struggle against the tightness in my chest. I will myself to relax, to let go and drift to sleep but sleep doesn't come.

I give up trying and go downstairs to force something into my stomach. Maybe food will help the emptiness I feel. After a ham sandwich, I do feel marginally better but nowhere near happy. Maybe letting myself feel was a bad choice. Maybe I should have remained closed off. It was boring before Sookie, but it also didn't hurt so much. Now that she doesn't work for me anymore, I am free to never see her again. The hurt that rips through my body at the thought of letting her go nearly brings me to my knees and I stop walking to steady myself on the stairs. I can't let her go. I won't, even though she would be lucky if I did. But I have to fix this mess. Ultimately I told her to leave. I thought I would be better without her here. I thought I could put myself right without her help. But I find that I can't. Because whatever was wrong with me before has now increased tenfold and along with the feeling that my life is spinning out of control, I now feel like my heart is being squeezed in my chest and my room does not contain enough oxygen to breathe.

In my bedroom once more, I finish undressing and strip off my pants and underwear. I ripped off my shirt at some point earlier and I find it ruined on the floor. Maybe a shower will help me relax.

It doesn't.

It makes me think of Sookie. The last time I was inside her was in the shower. My dick remembers too and I'm hard before I can force myself to calm down. Goddamn it! I can't do this right now. I wash quickly and dry myself but my dick will not listen to me and it stays hard even when I cover it with boxers and pajama bottoms. Traitor.

Six o'clock. I managed to sleep for a few hours but at six o'clock, I decide to just get up. I walk to my office and pull up an internet search of the area around the spa Sookie will be at in a few hours. She was supposed to leave from here after having snuggled me all night. She was supposed to leave from here, happy and satisfied, with my kiss on her lips. Right now I just hope there is a way to make her think of me even when I will not be there.

Yes! A bakery down the street. I call them, hoping they will answer even though they don't open for another hour. When a woman picks up with an obvious French accent, I use my somewhat limited French to beg for her help in my plan. Thankfully she agrees, she can sense my desperation or maybe she likes my accent. It's probably my money. Anyway, she will do what I ask and that's all that matters.

I search out another store that I need and they are easy to convince, the woman sighing and telling me I'm such a good boyfriend. Sure. If I was, I wouldn't be currently cleaning up the mess I made.

That done, I go down to make some much needed coffee. I am so fucking tired. I will have to nap when Annika does today. I don't want to be tired when I meet Sookie tonight. Assuming she still wants me to go meet her friends. God, I hope so. I have Haley coming around ten so I can go to the bar and see Sookie.

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SOOKIE

I wake up at eight and for a second I feel happy before the reality of why I'm waking up in my own bed, comes crashing down on me. I have no Eric beside me. I miss his sweet morning smile, sleepy and slow, it spreads across his face like a sunrise when he sees me. But not today. This morning I am alone even though I'm meant to be with him. I should be taking my shower with him instead of by myself. I should be washing his skin, not my own. It should be him who encourages me to eat something and not Amelia.

"I'm just not hungry," I say. My stomach still hurts and food is the last thing I need.

"You need to eat something," she says, "You'll feel better."

"I need Eric," I object. "He makes me feel better."

Amelia gives me a hug and grabs an apple for me before we head to the spa. Hopefully a massage will lift my spirits. Amelia and I are getting mani/pedis and massages—Swedish, of course.

"Miss Stackhouse? These are for you," the woman behind the counter says, holding out a bright bouquet of flowers in gorgeous shades of blue. My favorite combination of colors and I know just who knows that. I read the card: I love you. Always. E. Before I can melt into the floor, the lady hands Amelia a bouquet with a beautiful arrangement of colors.

"What does your card say?" I ask her.

"Happy birthday. I look forward to meeting you. Enjoy your day and please keep my girl happy. I'm afraid I made her sad. Eric," she reads. "Oh my god, Sookie! He is so sweet!"

I can't keep the tears at bay and they fall down my face. The lady who checked us in, Cecelia, brings me some tissues and I blubber my thanks and apologize for weeping in her spa.

"Oh, don't worry about it," she says, rubbing my back. "But keep the tissues, because that's not all that he sent for you."

"What?" I gasp as she goes to get something and comes out with a big tray of pastries and sets in on the counter along with two hot chocolates, which she hands to me and Amelia.

"Here's the note that came by courier with the food," she says, handing me an envelope. It's his handwriting, which means he went to a lot of trouble to get this note here right as the spa opened.

Sookie,

Food does not fill the emptiness I feel without you and I find it hard to be hungry when all I want to do is taste your lips. But please enjoy these pastries. They are sweet and when you eat them, imagine my lips on yours. I will imagine you eating them and drinking the chocolate, while trying not to make the noises that make me hard. (Are you blushing? Good.) I love you, Sookie, and I'm sorry I asked you to leave. I barely slept without you. Please call me when you are done at the spa.

Yours,

E.

She was right, more tears spill over my cheeks as I put the note away and tuck it into my purse.

"You're a lucky woman," says Cecelia. "Our note says to let you pick your favorite pastries and then let the staff here have the rest. He has good taste! It's from the bakery down the road. The Best of Boston every year for almost a decade!"

"I am lucky," I say with renewed tears.

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ERIC

"Sookie?" I say, out of breath. I ran for the phone, knowing it must be her.

"Eric? Are you okay?"

"I am now. I miss you. Did you get what I sent? Did you have a good time at the spa? Did you eat the pastries? I miss your face, angel. It feels like forever since I've seen you."

"Now who's rambling?" she says, laughing slightly. I am. I know I am. The sound of her voice is doing something to me and if I don't keep talking I will break down crying. "Thank you so much for the gifts, honey. I love the flowers and the food was really good. So was your note."

"Do you forgive me, Sookie? Please tell me that you do." I'm glad she liked what I had sent but I need her to tell me she forgives me.

"Of course, Eric..."

Relief. Cool, soft, easy.

"Eric? Do you forgive me?" she says, sounding a bit frantic, like she might have already asked me once.

"Oh, Sookie. Yes! I can't wait to see you. Do you still want me to meet you tonight?"

"I do...if you still want to come. Amelia wants to thank you and I can't wait to see you either. I love you so much. I don't want to fight with you."

"Me either. I love you. I will meet you around 10:30, okay? I know you're busy today so I'll let you go. Text me if you have a minute."

"Okay, Eric. I'll see you tonight."

We say goodbye and I hang up feeling so much better. My heart can beat unrestricted and my lungs can breathe. The room is full of oxygen again. "She loves me, Anni!" I say, picking her back up. "Let's eat lunch, princess!" Annika grins at me as I put her in her high chair. I am suddenly famished.

As I arrive at the bar after tucking Annika into bed and telling Haley that am happy she could help me out, I look around for Sookie and her group of friends but I don't see them. There is a live band playing and it's pretty loud so I find a small table near the back to wait for Sookie.

And then there she is. Laughing and talking cheerfully with her friends. She is stunning in a tight black dress with those knee high boots I love. She takes my breath away and I know that's cliché but in this case, it's true. I literally have to remind myself to breathe after I've been staring at her for too long.

I stand up to go to her and some man she walked in with pulls her into his body and with his knee between her legs, starts to grind his body all over hers. Fuck. The feelings this sight wells up in me are strong. Almost too strong to tamp down but I manage to. Tonight will be fun. I will not kill anyone. No matter if they are grinding their dick all over my girl.

It's just dancing, calm down. Calm down, calm down is the mantra running through my head as I approach Sookie and the man with his hands on her hips and his dick on her thigh. Clothed, but still.

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SOOKIE

Eric.

He stands looking at me, his chest moving up and down with his forceful breaths. His eyes are unreadable. I can't tell what he's thinking. He could be angry that I'm dancing with another man. He could be overwhelmed with emotion. He could be choked up by the sight of my face, his heart beating wildly, tears threatening to spill. Oh—that's me.

He stands looking at me for another second and then he holds his hand out for mine. How can I resist that? I can't and I place my hand in his and look up into his eyes. Eyes so filled with love I find myself unable to do anything but stare back at them. Eyes so lost and desperate, that I follow their owner without thought as he pulls me along with him.

He's walking quickly, obviously having scoped this place out before I got here. He heads towards the back. To the bathroom? But we're inside, door locked, and his lips are all over me before I can ask. He starts with my neck, and his lips tickle because he hasn't stopped telling me he loves me and he's sorry. As he whispers, his lips trace over my skin, giving me goosebumps.

"Tell me, Sookie. I need to hear it," he murmurs, looking suddenly into my eyes. His eyes are shining, hopeful yet troubled.

"I love you, Eric. I'm so sorry. I love you," I say and then his lips come crashing into mine.

He pours all his desperation into this kiss. It's frantic and fierce, unrelenting. His hands grip my neck and my shoulder tightly, as if he's afraid I will try to get away. But I want this. I want him. So urgently, so deeply that he is like my air and if he lets me go, I will suffocate and drown. I am so lost in his lips that I don't register that the hand creeping down my belly and over my hips, has creeped under my dress. I gasp and he plunges his tongue into my mouth and his fingers into my panties. He murmurs in Swedish, his lips brushing mine with each foreign syllable that he utters.

"English," I manage to say. His fingers feel so good and I know I'm not going to last long.

"I want you," he whispers as he pushes a finger further down and inside me.

"Oh, god. Eric," I moan. He pulls back from my mouth and looks at me with dark, intense eyes.

"Say my name like that again. Cum for me," he orders, rocking his hand against me faster and harder.

His look, his hand, his command—I am powerless against them and I shudder violently with an orgasm that rips through me suddenly and savagely. "Eric!" I gasp. My knees give out but he is there, with his arm around me, and he pulls me to his chest and strokes me gently through the aftershocks that shake my body.

When I'm stable enough to stand on my own, he lets me go and steps back from me. I look at him standing before me. Dark jeans bulging with his excitement, dark shirt clinging to his muscled chest, dark eyes intense with wanting. He is wickedly beautiful and I can't wait to get him home.

He grins at me, watching me look him over like a piece of meat, and sucks his fingers into his mouth.

"You always do that," I say squirming. It's kind of gross but the way he enjoys it is incredibly seductive.

"You taste good," he says, popping his fingers out of his mouth. He smirks at my embarrassment.

"Wash your hands," I say, smiling at him. I love how unashamed he is in his pleasure.

"In a minute," he says, licking his palm slowly. It makes me tingle even though I just had a fantastic orgasm. He brings his hand down and raises an eyebrow at me. "You're insatiable," he teases, "You want more already?"

"You can tell? I mean, no. Wash your hands, everyone is going to wonder what we're doing."

"Oh, they know what we're doing," he says, coming towards me. "And if they don't know now, when they see your swollen lips," he says, brushing his thumb across my mouth, "And your pretty pink cheeks," he kisses both, "And your satisfied expression," he smirks proudly, "They will absolutely know. And they will know that I did this to you."

"Eric!"

"Yes?" He's finally washing his hands so we can leave but now I don't ever want to show my face again.

"Did you just stake your claim on me?"

"That was not my intention when I pulled you into the bathroom but yes, you are mine Sookie, and now you smell like me and everyone will see that I keep you happy. You will remember who makes you feel so good while you're out partying with other men, yes?"

"Ah! You are such a caveman sometimes," I say, but I can't say it doesn't make me giddy being claimed by him, knowing he's jealous even though he has no need to be. "You shouldn't worry about him, Eric. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"I'm not worried, Sookie. You can dance with whoever you want. You will come home to me. Take my key and have them drop you off at my house when your party ends," he says, holding out a shiny new key on a keychain in the shape of the sun.

"Oh, Eric! You're giving me a key to your house?" I squeal.

"Yes. Please use it whenever you want. Please use it tonight. I don't care what time it is, just come home to me, Sookie. Please."

I throw my arms around him and he picks me up and kisses my forehead. "Thank you, Eric!" I say, kissing his chin. He dips his face and licks my top lip. He lowers me to the ground as he slants his head to deepen the kiss. After a few seconds, he pulls back and smiles.

"We should get back. I want to meet your friends," he says.

I know we have a lot to talk about but that can wait. Right now, I plan to have a whole lot of fun with my boyfriend and my friends. I will worry about everything else tomorrow.

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So? Okay? Do you like everybody now? Tell me what you think. Is one of them still on your bad side? Tell me who. They are both learning how to be in a healthy relationship. Neither one has had that before so they will both mess up at times.

What do you think of Sookie's convo with Amelia? Did she give her good advice? Should Sookie leave him be? Or is she supposed to help him as much as she can because she loves him and doesn't want him to be in pain? Should she let him just forget when he's with her or should she fight to uncover him?

Did you like what Eric did for her or do you think he did not owe her anything and had nothing to fix?

Let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!