Chapter Twenty Nine: Holding On To You

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I couldn't believe that standing only a few feet away was none other than the man I thought I would never see again. That had been why I had broken the bond, hadn't it of been? What was the point of holding onto something that I just would never truly have? I wanted to move on. I had taken that leap tonight. I had thrown away the last piece of the puzzle, and I was supposed to be starting fresh. And now Eric Northman just had to come waltzing in, saving the day yet again, and now I just didn't know what to think.

Because what the hell did this mean?

Why was he here? Had he felt the bond disappear? He must have, but then how had he gotten here so fast? Sure, he could run faster than I could even imagine, or fly just nearly as fast. But he couldn't have been too far away, right? So did that mean he was on his way back to Louisiana when I had decided to cast the spell? Was this some big coincidence or was there more too it?

I was just so damn confused.

There was a war happening right in front of me, and all I could focus on was that blonde vampire. I had destroyed our blood bond because of that reason, because I hadn't been able to focus with his emotions running through me. And now that I had subtracted that distraction, he shows up in the flesh, throwing everything out of the window.

I felt irritated, angry, pissed off.

But I also felt relieved, like all I wanted to do was run into his arms and never let him go.

Because just seeing him again, just watching him protect me like he had always promised me that he would, it caused my heart to swell, my knees to grow weak. I was acting silly, especially when there were a group of angry vampires surrounding the house looking like they were about to attack at any moment. But how could I help myself? This was the man that I loved and he had just suddenly returned after promising that we would never see one another ever again.

I was allowed to be a little distracted.

"She. Is. Mine." Eric growled again, his hand tightening around Victor's throat.

As I focused on the vampire however, I was surprised by how calm and collected he looked. Eric looked like he was about to rip his head from his body, and Victor looked like he was having afternoon tea with the Queen.

"Ah, Mr. Northman, I've been expecting you." Victor caught Eric off guard by shoving him roughly away and pressing down the wrinkles in his suit. "I was wondering when you would show up."

Eric growled lowly, looking poised to strike at any moment. Godric however, flashed before Eric, stepping between the two vampires to cease the fight that we all knew was about to happen. And while part of me wanted to watch gleefully as Eric ripped Victor apart, limb by limb, I knew the moment that he laid another hand on Victor, the vampires outside would attack. I spied the devices they held, the guns along with the traditional flamed torches. If Victor was to die in any shape or form, we would all be screwed. There was no way out of this house, and there was no possible way I could kill each and every single one of them all at once. I knew I was powerful, but as Godric reminded me daily, even I had limits. And I wasn't stupid enough to try and kill them all at once. I wasn't sure what damage that would cause me.

"Now now, Mr. Northman, that attitude won't get you anywhere. You wouldn't want me to have my men attack Fangtasia while your progeny is inside, would you?"

Eric tensed, his eyes narrowing into slits. "I will kill you if you lay even a finger on her."

"Who exactly are you talking about? Your progeny, or this sweet little Phoenix here." Victor took a step towards me, and even before I could take a step back, Eric had him by the throat and threw him down onto the ground growling.

"She is mine, do you understand?" Eric hissed in rage. "You will not speak to her. You will not even look at her. She is mine. If you so much as touch a single hair on her body, I will rip you to threads and I don't give a fuck about the consequences."

Eric was back to his feet in seconds, his hands curled into fists as he stood directly in front of me, blocking my view entirely of Victor as he rose to his feet just as quickly.

"I'm surprised she would choose you as her mate. She doesn't seem like the type to want someone so possessive. Isn't that right, Phoenix?" Victor and stepped to the side to flash his smirk at me.

"Eric..." Godric warned his progeny as Eric took a step forward, looking ready to rip his throat right out. "Think about your actions."

"I would listen to that maker of yours." Victor brushed off the imaginary dust from his suit jacket. "One wrong move and Fangtasia will be destroyed, along with everyone in it. Even if anyone were to escape, which is doubtful, your bar would be closed down by the Authority for investigation. You'll lose everything. Literally."

"But you'll be dead, that's all I really care about." I could just imagine the look on Eric's face right at that moment. Honestly, if I was Victor, I would be scared shitless right now. I've seen Eric when he was angry, when he was furious enough to rip hearts out of chests. This Viking was older than most of the vampires combined outside. He could kill Victor in any way that he might like, and would probably enjoy most of it. Hell, I would enjoy watching it. But if Eric did attack, if he did try and kill Victor, then not only are we all screwed, but those in Fangtasia wouldn't have a chance at survival.

"Is that anyway to talk to your new Authority." Victor rolled his eyes, that perfectly white smile plastered across his face again. "As I've suggested to your Phoenix, I would accept my offer."

"I would rather die."

"Then perhaps you will." Victor raised his hands, and we all watched in horror as the guns were raised, readying themselves for Victor's order. "I was willing to spare your lives, and I especially did not want to harm that darling Phoenix, but I suppose I must..."

I watched as the first bullets showered the house, the windows breaking, glass exploding into the living room and causing Sookie and Quinn to cover themselves. Not a single bullet however, made its way through the front door, and I knew they had just been trying to scare us. The next round however, I wasn't so sure we'd be so lucky. I tried to concentrate, to focus so I could stop the bullets like I had done the last time. But it was much harder now, especially when I had the man that I loved standing before me.

"I'll give you one last chance. Accept my offer and stand down. Or you all shall die. And I would much rather keep you all alive, for my own selfish benefits of course." The smile twisted into a smirk. "So? What shall it be? Let's be reasonable here. Perhaps we can strike a deal."

"I would rather die a hundred deaths." Eric growled, his fingernails digging into the palm of his hands, blood beginning to drip to the floor.

"That's too bad then." Victor sighed, shaking his head. "Men..."

"Stop." Godric halted him, surprising us all by speaking. Eric shot him the dirtiest look I think he had ever given his maker, and if Godric hadn't of known Eric for as long as he had, if he hadn't of been his maker, then I was certain Godric would have reprimanded him for such blatant lack of respect. But I didn't blame Eric one bit, because why the hell was Godric saying anything? Why was he stopping Victor? I refused to accept his offer. I refused to live in Louisiana while Bill Compton ran the area into the ground, while Victor used all of us like pawns in a chess game. And I knew Eric felt the same exact way.

"Godric." Eric hissed at him.

"I pledge my loyalty to Felipe De Castro, the King of Nevada." Godric spoke softly, avoiding all of our glares. "Eric..."

"No." Eric shook his head, his hands clenching even harder, and if he wasn't a vampire, I would have been worried that he was going to permanently scar himself. "I won't."

"Yes you will. Or else we'll all die. Including Pam. Including me. Including all of us here." Godric didn't happen to mention the fact that I wouldn't actually die. And maybe it was for that fact that Eric flashed me a quick look before glaring down at a widely smirking Victor.

I went to open my mouth to stop Eric before he could utter a word. He couldn't do this. He couldn't pledge his allegiance to such a snake. We would all be screwed if he did so. We would all find ourselves in such a dangerous situation that I'm not sure we'd be able to find a way out if. What happened to fighting back? What happened to raging war against these vampires? We could do so tonight. If we all banded together maybe we could...I wasn't sure exactly what we could do, but I would rather try and fight to the death then just give up and fall to my knees before this asshole of a vampire. I just couldn't bring myself to do it and I didn't understand why Godric and Eric could.

"Don't." Sookie whispered to me, sliding next to me and squeezing my hand hard. I shot her a confused look, but she only shook her head sadly. She looked just as defeated at Godric looked. I shot a look to Quinn, who was standing perfectly still in the living room doorway. He caught my eye, and I tried to send him some sort of silent message, but he too just sadly bowed his head, not offering any help at all.

Because there was no way to stop this.

There was no way at all to get out of this evening with all of our lives in tact with these Nevada vampires dead and gone for good.

We were screwed, in all sense of the word.

"I pledge my loyalty to your king." Eric grumbled, not looking Victor is the eye as he said this. In fact, he was glaring darkly at Godric.

"Fantastic." That smile returned as he clapped his hands, the vampires outside lowering their weapons and cheering as if they had just won the super bowl.

And I guess in a way, they just had.

"Of course, you will have to free Mr. Compton. We can't have our new Sheriff locked up now can we."

If at all possible, Eric looked even angrier at the prospect of letting Bill go, of handing his area over to that scum.

"And you'll now all report to me, including the two of you." Victor made sure to send Sookie and I pointed looks, causing us both to tense.

"We're not vampires; you have no control over us." I reminded him.

"But I do now. It's all part of our little agreement."

"There was no agreement. There was just you, threatening to kill us all." I narrowed my eyes, ignoring Sookie's attempts to shush me. I shook her off of me and took a step forward. If Eric hadn't turned and placed his hands on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down, I was sure I would have waltzed right up to him and slapped him. It may not have done much damage, but it would have given me a whole lot of satisfaction to see my burning handprint on his cheek. "I won't be your bitch. I won't do as you tell me. You have no control over me, so don't expect me to bow down to you, because that's the last thing I'll ever do. I'd rather have witches curse me for a lifetime then bow at your feet."

"Stop." Eric ordered, staring down at me with that look in his eyes. But I refused to meet his gaze. Because I knew the moment I stared up into those blur orbs I had missed so dearly, I knew I would just find myself breaking down. And I needed to remain strong, for Victor to know that he may have won this round, but I refused to back down, I refused to just hand my life over for his own personal gain. I would find a way out of this, for all of our sakes. "Ellie, stop."

"Don't." I snapped at him, still glaring darkly at Victor. "Call off your damn vampires from Fangtasia, now."

"You really are a feisty one." He winked at me before pulling his phone from his suit pants and pressed a single digit. He waited for a moment, his smile growing even wider if it was at all possible. "Stand down, they've pledged allegiance. Inform the vampires inside of the bar and allow the humans to leave."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket before shooting us all that stupid smile of his that I now had a strong urge to slap right off of his face. And I would have if Eric's large hands weren't basically holding me captive in one spot.

"Well now, I believe we're finished here." He turned and began towards the open door. "I expect Fangtasia to be open tomorrow. I will require a location to conduct business and Fangtasia will work just perfectly."

Eric snarled, and if he wasn't holding me in place, I was certain he would have rethought everything and attacked Victor.

"Oh, and Phoenix?" He stopped in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder at me. "I expect to see you tomorrow night. And if I don't, I won't be very pleased at all."

"I rescind your invitation." Sookie muttered quickly, earning a smirk from the vampire.

And then he was gone. One minute the house was surrounded by vampires, Victor stomping all over as if he owned Louisiana, which he now did, and the next, everything was eerily quiet. Eric kept his hands on my shoulders, but his arms relaxed as he glanced over his shoulder as we all stared at the empty yard, not a single vampire in sight. A sigh emitted from Sookie lips as she slumped against the wall in what I wasn't sure to be relief or not. We were glad that Victor was gone, that our lives were no longer in danger. But that wasn't entire true, was it? Our lives were still in danger. Because if we didn't comply with his every wish and whim, then he could kill any one of us at any time.

And that was not something I was relieved over.

"It's over." Godric let out a heavy sigh. "For now."

"It's not over. It's only begun." I shook my head. "I can't believe you actually pledged allegiance to that asshole."

"What else did you expect me to do, Elizabeth? We all could have died."

"I could have..."

"When are you going to realize that you have limits!" He snapped suddenly, his fangs still extended as he turned towards me. "You are not as powerful as you might think. Which is why you were bonded in the first place, to protect you. And now look at what you've done!"

I flinched at his harsh words. Before I could try and respond though, Eric spoke, his hands tightening on my shoulders.

"What did you do, Ellie? What the hell did you do?" he growled, his eyes narrowing completely into slits as suddenly, he had me shoved against the wall. I couldn't understand the look on his face though as his narrowed eyes roamed all over me. It almost looked like he was...worried? Like he was expecting there to be even a tiny scratch to alert him to why suddenly he could no longer feel our bond. It wasn't just closed, it wasn't just being blocked. It was literally just not there any longer. And he was confused. He was hurt. And worst of all, he was pissed off.

"She thought it would be a wise idea for Holly to break her blood bonds with magic." Godric crossed his arms over his chest as he filled Eric in on what had occurred before Victor and his vampires had shown up.

"You did what?" he hissed down at me, baring his fangs in my face, barely even an inch from tearing into my flesh.

I didn't know what to say. I felt so speechless, and it wasn't because of the guilt I felt over what I had done. It was because I never thought of what I would ever say to Eric if I saw him again. Part of me had always wished he would come back to me, but not once had I thought of what would happen if that day ever came. I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't expecting this at all. I didn't know how to act, what to say or even what to do. I just stood there as Eric's hands loosened on my shoulders before his arms fell to the side and he retreated halfway across the hall. He must have known I was too shocked to speak, to explain myself, and he was giving me space. That didn't seem like a very Eric Northman thing to do. He had always forced the answers out of me. He had always used verbal or physical force to hear what he wanted to. But this time was different. He was taking a different approach, and it didn't go unnoticed by me or any of the others.

"Why?" He asked calmly, or as calmly as Eric could ever possibly sound.

"I..."

My heart was beating so rapidly in my chest that I had to hold a hand over it in an attempt to calm myself down. I felt more flustered then when Victor was here, threatening our lives. But I would rather die than have to face Eric, to explain this all to him, to realize that I could forget all of my anger and pain towards this one man and just completely love him again. And that was what scared me. Eric just came sweeping back into my life after being gone for so long and suddenly I felt like I could forgive him. He hadn't apologized; he hadn't even explained why he was here or how he had been close enough to come so quickly. But that love I felt for him, that aching in my heart that had just never gone away, it was swelling to a point that my knees were shaking, that if I wasn't leaning against the wall, then I would have fallen to the floor, unable to hold myself up.

"Ellie." His voice lowered and he took a step forward.

Hearing my name pass through his lips felt like fireworks were going off. I had never expected this day to ever occur. I didn't think it was possible. Because Eric Northman was supposed to be off somewhere in the world, acting like a coward and refusing to accept the love that we had for one another. But he wasn't anywhere in the world, he was right here, before me. I could see him with my very own eyes. I could hear that smooth voice of his that turned almost terrifying when he was angry. I could even touch him if I wanted to. And my hand, with a mind of its own, even began reaching out to him, just so I could know that this wasn't some illusion.

Eric must have known what I was trying to do as he crossed the distance between us until both of his hands were cupping my cheeks and his lips were barely even an inch from mine. I was shaking. From my head to my toes, I was shaking. And I knew it wasn't because of tonight's events. I knew it wasn't because of the emotional turmoil. Oh no, I was shaking because this man, this man that I loved, was touching me for the first time in too long. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have his hands on me, for him to be caressing me in the way that he was. This almost felt like a dream, and god knows I've had enough of those over the time that Eric had been away. But this wasn't a dream. This was reality. This was a hundred percent real. Eric was really here. This wasn't just my imagination playing tricks on me. This was literally the man that I loved, returning to me.

Or was he?

How was it possible that he was actually here? I hadn't broken the bond all that long before Victor and his vampires had shown up. He couldn't have been very far away if he had suddenly just swept in to save my life. So how had he gotten here? Had he been on his way back home? And if that was the case, was it because Pam or Godric had called him, to warn him of the war that was happening in the area that Eric had once been Sheriff off. Was he just here to collect his territory back, or was he actually here for me?

I wasn't so sure.

My thoughts were too clouded. All my body wanted, ached for was to just hold Eric all night long, to feel those lips press against mine, for those large hands to caress every inch of my body.

But my mind was too confused. I wanted to know why he was here, how it was possible. I wanted to know if he had only returned to save Louisiana from disaster, or if he had come to sweep me off of my feet.

"Ellie..." he breathed, his eyes closing as his thumb began softly caressing my cheek.

My own eyes threatened to close, the feel of his cool hand nearly sending me to cloud nine. He could have taken me right then and there, and I don't think my body would have rejected him. It wouldn't have even cared that there was a room full of people around us. But I fought against that urge. I fought hard and ended up winning as I pressed my hands against Eric's chest and with my powers, was able to push him at least a few feet away. Eric looked angered that I had shoved him away, but he stood where he had landed, his fangs surprisingly retracting.

"Why are you here?" I asked softly.

"Why did you break our bond?" He countered.

"I asked you a question first." I pointed out childishly.

"And mine is more important." He crossed his large arms over his broad chest. "Ellie, explain now."

"How are you here?" My voice strengthened as I questioned him. "I mean, you were gone. You were supposed to be off god knows where. And now you're here. How?"

"I needed to ensure that you weren't..." he trailed off, his expression softening for only a mere moment before it was masked. "And you aren't, so I expect an explanation as to why the hell I can no longer feel our bond. Now."

"And I want an explanation as to how you're here." I shakily crossed my arms. "Were you on your way home to protect Louisiana, was that it? Did Pam or Godric call you and asked you to come back? Is that how you were able to pop up so quickly?"

When he didn't answer, I found myself growing frustrated. I opened my mouth to demand an answer when Godric stepped forward.

"I think the more important matter here is why you decided to break the blood bonds that were put in place to protect you." Godric sided with his progeny, which didn't surprise me at all.

"Oh you cannot say a damn thing, Godric. How the hell could you lie to me like that?" I turned my anger towards the ancient vampire. "I asked you why you went to New Orleans and you just lied to my face. How could you not tell me that it was possible to resurrect Kyra? Don't you think that's something I should know, that I could have helped you with."

"It wasn't of your concern." Godric argued.

"Of course it was my fucking concern." I snapped. "Kyra is much more than just the Phoenix that preceded me, Godric. We're a part of one another. We look nearly exactly the same. We share the same blood. We have the same fucking soul. So do not tell me that it isn't any of my concern. Because if anything, this is entirely my fucking concern."

"Elizabeth..." Godric's gaze darkened.

"Don't Elizabeth me, Godric. You lied to me. You had the chance to tell me the truth and you didn't. Don't you think that hurts me, Godric?"

"And don't you think that this hurts me!" his eyes were rimmed with red blood tears, and I knew he was talking about the bond between us that I had broken. "I had sworn to never bond with another human once Kyra passed. I had turned Eric out of the need of companionship. But I had never planned on bonding with anyone else. And then you came along, you were near death, and I couldn't help myself."

"Because I look like Kyra." I reminded him. "It was only because of Kyra that you initially saved me."

"No, that's not true at all." He shook his head, taking a step forward. "I saved you that night because you were an innocent girl that did not deserve to die such a brutal death. I knew who you looked like that night, but I thought it was just a coincidence. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I refused to possibly believe it as I brought you to my home, to heal you with my blood, to bond with you forever."

"We were never friends because of your blood, Godric." I pointed out, m voice softening. "It was never the blood that brought us so close together."

"But it was my blood that had protected you for so long. It was Eric's blood that has protected you since."

"A whole lot of good that's done." I shook my head. "My life has been in danger how many times now, Godric?"

"And you are not yet dead."

"No, because I'm a Phoenix, I can't die. And hell, apparently even I did die, I could be resurrected!"

Godric sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is not the time to be focused on this, Elizabeth."

"No, you're right. We should be focused on the fact that you fucking sold out!" my anger returned as I remembered the way Godric just pledged his loyalty to Victor. It was absolutely disgusting to watch. I was willing to do everything there was to fight back, and Godric didn't seem to care at all about that.

"It was the only right thing to do." Godric pursed his lips together. "You may not have died, Elizabeth, which I am thankful for, but the rest of us could have."

"Well I'm sorry I'm some powerful being. I'll try not to be next time." I threw my arms up into the air. "I'm done. I'm so done right now."

"Ellie..." Sookie laid a hand on my arm, only I shook it off. "Maybe we should..."

"I can't do this." I muttered, shaking my head. "I just can't."

"Leave us." Eric suddenly spoke, causing my head to snap up for our gazes to meet. And the moment our eyes locked together, nothing else in the world mattered. At that moment, there was no one else in that hallway except us. At that moment, all that I could focus on, all that I cared about, was this man. "I said leave us."

"I'm going to find Sam." Sookie spoke softly. "Quinn, we took your truck over here, could you..."

"Of course." Quinn agreed before shooting me a glance. I spied him out the corner of my eye, though I found that I barely even realized when he was speaking. Eric was my focus right now; all of my attention was purely on him. "I'll come back."

"There's no need for that, Shifter." Eric growled.

"I'll come back." Quinn repeated, this time more forcefully before he and Sookie left the house, leaving me alone with the two vampires.

"Godric, call Pam to ensure that she's fine." Eric instructed Godric before adding a rare "Please."

Godric sighed but nodded. He shot me one last look before he was out of the house, his voice fading into the yard as he called Fangtasia. Eric and I were now perfectly alone. It was just him and I, and I found that I had lost my ability to speak for a second time that evening. But I didn't need to say a word, before he slowly drew towards me. He took little steps instead of his usual long strides, as if he wanted to draw this out for as long as he could before he towered over me with those intense blue eyes that I just could not stop looking into. They were almost mesmerizing, and if I didn't know for certain that my mental blocks were solidly up, then I would have thought Eric was trying to glamour me. But he wasn't. Because that was the look that he had always given me. It was like he knew the effect on me, and he must have even without our bond. He had to have seen the shaking of my knees, of my hands as I pressed myself further against the wall. My lips were parted, as if I tried to say something, but no words left my mouth.

"How could you do something so stupid, my Phoenix?" He raised a hand up cup my cheek, caressing the soft skin and causing me to shudder uncontrollably. "How could you do something so incredibly wrong?"

"I...I..." my eyes did close this time as I tried to control myself. I was acting like an idiot. I should have been angry with Eric. I should have hated him like I had told everyone for so long now that I did. Except, we all knew that wasn't true. Because Eric hurt me, he destroyed me, he damaged me for good. But I still loved him with all of my heart stupidly. He still owned my heart, my body, and sadly, he was starting to win over my mind. I had to fight it though. I had to remind myself over and over again all the terrible things he had done to me since the moment we first laid eyes on him. He had abused me, both physically and verbally. He had treated me like dirt, like I was nothing but a common whore for him to use whenever he felt like it. He was possessive, not even allowing his own maker to be alone with me half of the time. He had betrayed my trust on more than one account. He had attacked me, fed from me, used me, and all for what reason? He had caused me to fall in love with him, only to shove me right back away. He had run away. He left me twice. He had broken my heart, ripped it out of my chest to rip it into a million pieces, only to shove it right back into place. It wasn't fair that he could just waltz in here and expect everything to be back to how they used to be. It wasn't fair to me that he used his good looks and my love for him to win me over.

But was I completely a fool for not completely caring about all of that?

I must have been. Because I stupidly still loved him. I stupidly wanted him to ravish me. I stupidly wanted to just have him hold me until the sun rose.

I was an idiot; there wasn't any argument over that.

But I needed to not let my stupidity cloud my judgement, not completely anyways.

"Why are you back? How are you here?" I questioned him, my voice barely above a wavering whisper but I knew he had heard me perfectly clear.

"Why did you break our bond?"

"No, don't do that. Don't answer my question with a question." I placed my hands on his chest and tried to push him away. I didn't bother to use my powers this time as Eric sighed and allowed me to put some distance between us. I moved over to the stairs, needing to sit down after everything that's happened tonight. Eric's eyes were on me the entire time as I rested on the bottom stairs, my hands shaking together as I clasped them in my lap. It took a moment of gathering my courage before I could look back up at Eric, our gazes locking immediately. "How is it that your back, Eric?"

But he didn't answer. He just stared at me, not blinking, not even moving. He just stared.

And for some reason, that caused me some alarm.

He was hiding something from me.

Whatever the reason was that he was back, he was hiding it from me.

And I knew it couldn't have been good.

"Did Godric or Pam call you? Did they ask you to come back? Is that how you were here so quickly, because you were already on your way here?" I questioned, my heart still racing madly in my chest. "Or were you coming back on your own? Why are you here? How? If you were off somewhere, you wouldn't have gotten here this quickly. You had to be somewhere close. You had to..."

It was as if I had been blinded and someone just yanked the cloth from my eyes. I realized exactly how Eric had been here as soon as he had. I realized exactly how Eric had just swept in so soon after our bond had broken. It hadn't been because he was on his way home. He hadn't been called in by his progeny or maker. He hadn't decided to make a return at all.

Because he never left in the first place.

"You..." my eyes were beginning to fill with tears as my hands clasped one another so tightly that I could feel my fingernails breaking through skin. "You never left, did you?"

He wouldn't meet my gaze. He stared at the wall behind my head and refused to look me in the eye.

That was how I knew I was right.

Eric Northman, the man who had supposedly runoff, who had told me goodbye, had been here all along.

"You told me goodbye, Eric." I croaked out as the emotions washed over me. A tear slipped down my cheek, and even as I tried to brush it away, I found others joining it, staining my cheeks. "You...you said goodbye."

His eyes flickered to mine for the briefest moment before he looked back away.

"You came to me and told me goodbye." I shakily stood, my hand grasping the stair railing tightly. "You said you were leaving, that you were never coming back."

I stepped forward, trying my best to keep myself upright. My entire body was shaking. But it wasn't out of desire for Eric this time. It was because of the pain that was tearing through my body.

"You lied to me. You...you were here all along. I don't know where, but you were here. You were supposed to be gone but..." I couldn't even finish the sentence before more tears began flowing down my cheeks. "How could you? How could you lie to me? How could you tell me goodbye, to my face, and then not leave at all? How could you?"

"It was to protect you." He finally spoke in defence. "It was the only way that I could..."

"How? How could you protect me like that, Eric?" I demanded to know.

"If I was believed to be gone, then I would have the ability to attack without a single person knowing."

"But Victor did know." I pointed out. "Victor was waiting for you to pop up somewhere. So this whole thing was just for nothing."

"I never left because I wanted to protect you, Ellie." He took a step towards me. "That was the reason."

"No, no that's a lie. You didn't leave because you wanted to protect your precious Louisiana." I spat. "Because if you really wanted to protect me, you would have done it at my side. You would have been there when those Weres attacked. You would have been there at Bill's. You would have been here and I wouldn't have had a reason to break these stupid bonds."

"They're not stupid, Ellie." He was suddenly before me, and even as I tried to push him away, he clasped onto my chin and held me firmly in place. "Those bonds, our bond, are anything but stupid."

"Who knew? Who knew that you were still here? Pam? Godric? Who?"

Eric sighed. "Pam wasn't aware of my whereabouts, but she knew that I hadn't gone far. And Godric...Godric knew."

I closed my eyes, more pain washing over me. "Of course he did."

"Do no blame him for this, Ellie. He never wanted this. He tried to persuade me to come back, to not hide myself from you. And it worked, eventually."

"Go. I want you to go." I tried to push him away. But he wouldn't budge, and I was just too emotionally drained to use my powers at all. "Please just go."

"No." He stood his ground. "I am not leaving."

"Please." I was nearly begging him. "Just..."

"I won't leave you. I've done that already twice. And I won't do it again. I'm here, Ellie. I'm here damnit. It took me too long to realize what an idiot I've been. And I will never forgive myself for the pain that I've caused you. But I'm here, and I refuse to leave." He leaned forward, our eyes level as our lips were barely an inch apart.

"No." I shook my head. "No I don't want you here."

"You may say that, but I know it's not the truth. Because even without this bond between us, I know that you still love me. I know that despite what I've done, we can still fix this. You and I, we are meant for one another my sweet little Phoenix. You are mine, and I am yours. That will never change. You may not have my blood, but we're still a part of one another, and we forever will be." He let my chin go, only to cup both of my cheeks, cradling my head in his hands. "I left you, I lied to you, and I destroyed you. And I know you will never forgive me for this. But I am sorry. I am here to stay. Nothing you can say or do will ever change that. I made a mistake. I made one that I will never forgive myself for. But I will do everything in my power, I will do everything possible for us to be together again. I don't care if it takes centuries. I don't care if it takes millenniums. I will have you in my arms again. We will be together, my love. Because I am not leaving you. I am not giving up on this, not again."

I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to believe a word coming out of his mouth. Because it hurt too much. It tore my heart into pieces to hear him say those words. I didn't want to believe him. I didn't want to believe that it was possible for us to ever be happy again. He had left. He had destroyed my entire world. But now he was here, declaring his love for me, assuring me that he would never leave me again. And no matter how hard I tried to believe this wasn't happening, no matter how hard I tried to believe this was just some nightmare, I knew that this was very real. Eric was back. He had returned. Not that he had anywhere to return from. He had been here the entire time, and for what reason? He said to protect me, but I wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." He grasped onto my shoulders now. "I will say that a thousand times every single day for the rest of our lives until you believe that. I thought it was impossible for a vampire to love. I didn't want to become this pathetic lovesick fool. I wanted to forget you. I didn't want any of this. But I...I was a fool, a coward, for believing that it was possible to not love you, to forget this beautiful face."

"Go." I whispered. "I rescind..."

"I was wrong. I was an idiot. I was a coward. I was too afraid of what might happen in the future that I was blinded to what I had right in front of me. And I will not lose sight of that again. I love you, Ellie. And I will forever love you. You may hate me. You may despise me. And you may rescind my invitation, because that's fine. But I will be here. I will protect you from Victor; I will lay my life down in front of yours. Because I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. You can believe what you want. But I came here tonight fearing that you had died. I came here tonight in fear that I really had lost you, that I had wasted time over something so childish. But here you are, very much alive. And I will not waste another moment."

"Please..." I begged him, my eyes still closed.

"I will leave you tonight. I will give you the space you rightfully deserve. But I will be back. I will return every single night if I have to. I love you, Elizabeth Cole, and that will never change. I made a mistake, but I'm here now."

I felt is hands leave my shoulders, and I thought he was finally going to leave, so I could break down in peace. But before he did, I found my back forced up against the wall and his lips pressing against mine in a kiss I had been longing for. I tried to fight it at first. I tried to push him away, tried to draw whatever power I could to stop him. But he held onto me forcefully, refusing to let me go, just as he had promised moments ago. The kiss that held a passion I thought had been lost only lasted a mere moment in time, but as he broke apart, as my eyes slowly opened to stare into those blue orbs, I was surprised at the love that I found staring back at me. I was shocked to see the determination, the passion that I had been desperate for.

"I love you, my sweet, my love, my Phoenix." He brushed his lips against my forehead before taking a single step back.

And then, much like Victor had earlier, he was just gone, just like that, leaving me to wonder what I was going to do.

Did I forgive him?

Did I just let him back into my life?

Or did I move on, like I had intended to do when I had broken these bonds?

I just didn't know what to do anymore.