I own nothing to do with True Blood, which is blatantly obvious haha.

I want to thank you all so much, your response to this story astounds me, as I'm not a particularly confident FF writer in any sense. I'm truly humbled! And, hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter! Love you guys, you're all so wonderful! x Please keep it up, as it motivates me so much.

Hope you enjoy this one! xx

Chapter Twenty

I felt all weepy and sad after overhearing Eric's words the way I had.

It took almost hours for them to settle in, and once they well and truly did, I desired nothing more than to curl up inside myself and cry for hours on end. But really, what was I expecting? Was I really that dumb to believe he'd ever like me? Hell, why would I even want someone like him to like me? Because, really, I think I'd rather be hated by him, than loved, that's for sure. Being hated by him, it seemed a heck of a lot easier to deal with, anyhow.

At least there was Godric's warmth filling around us. That was all we needed, all I needed.

Soon as we reached Gran's house, I completely lost it. I threw open the door, climbed out, and slammed it shut as hard as I could muster. Hopefully the pair of them would have taken heed then to avoid hysterical little Sookie Stackhouse at all costs.

Godric was clearly the smarter of the two.

"My heart bleeds over your callous ways, broder," he remarked sadly from somewhere behind me, while I trudged my way up the porch steps, hands dangling at my sides and balled up tight in all my unrestrained ferocity.

"Go to ground, Godric," Eric muttered in a huff, his voice all kinds of authoritative. He'd had enough nonsense for one day, obviously. "There is a coffin underneath the house. Go lay in it, and recover. I will be joining you shortly."

By that time, I was already fighting back tears.

He was like a knife slicing through my vision, when as I just about very nearly reached the fly screen door, he was standing in front of me. It hurt so much simply by having to look at his stupid, sun-charred face. I was so angry with him. But most of all, I was downright angry in myself. How could I have believed any different? Of course, he hated me. Of course, he couldn't feel things. Stupid, stupid teenage crushes and equally as shitty hormones.

I was utterly incoherent and bursting with over millions of feelings I couldn't quite get a clear handle on. I felt betrayed. I felt dumb as an otter. I felt so... silly.

"Move out of my way, before I haul you out on your ass myself," I whispered furiously, even though it was a pretty idiotic thing to say. He was a vampire, I was no match for him physically, Sookie! Duh!

My eyes met his without even wanting to, and he gave me such a piercing look with his. "My, my. Aren't we angry?" His eyes scanned down the full length of my face speculatively. I hated him even more in that instance. His expression shifted immediately solemn, within a heartbeat. "You are hurting." It was a mere confused croak of observation.

"No shit, you think?" I said and then, before I knew it, I was bursting into tears. "I hate you, you're heartless and cruel! I was idiot enough to assume you might have even cared for me, since you were goin' out of your way to protect me! But you can't, can you?" I seethed, through tears. "You are just a monster, Eric Northman! A cold, unfeeling waste in a human's body!"

With a savagery that almost seemed foreign within me, I saw red. I screamed through my teeth, a piercing, loud as all hell screech, and then there it happened, all over again. A flash of thunder-like light burst through my fingers and connected with his chest and, he was smacking back into the wall a fraction. I wanted to kill him. Well, most of all... I just wanted him to kill... me. Get it over and done with, already, since he made it perfectly clear, it would have been easy as breathing for him to do so. My flashlight fingers crackled and faded, just as quickly as it'd been sparked, much to my dismay. All the effect it had, was having him fall back against the wall and that was a real pity, because I felt there was so much more damage I could have inflicted on him that he rightfully deserved.

All he did, was stand there passively, taking it all in.

I whirled away from his face, and used my hands to cover my own. The sobbing started again, and wildly. I was shaking like a fretful little kitten all over, feeling mentally and physically drained in the process.

"I hope that hurt like all hell," I cried, in a choking voice that I knew would still be clear for him to make out enough regardless, with his spooky vampire hearing.

"Indeed it did. Because they were your feelings."

"Oh, please," I laughed out hysterically, clutching at my knees. "You're still gonna blame these feelings felt... on this pledge-thingy?"

"Because it is the truth," he declared, calmly as ever. "I have no feelings. I only have yours."

And still, I didn't believe that. Not a single bit. Everything feels... something.

I tried to breathe extra slowly and carefully, in order to catch my breath. Once I finally managed, I wiped my eyes, and brought myself to look over at him again. Not that I wanted to. I was sick of seeing that face of his. "There is something I need you to do for me, Eric," I started desperately, extra shaky. "I know you probably won't like to hear any of it... but it's somethin' important for my sanity."

He was instantly wary, scrutinizing me carefully with his cold eyes, like he believed I was going to be asking too much of him. He pushed off the wall slowly, and shoved his large hands deep into his trouser pockets. Perhaps sensing my hesitation, his fair eyebrows rose a fraction. "Yes?"

It took me several moments to find the strength to use my voice. All I wanted was to yell at him, and cry some more.

"I need you to leave my Gran's house, just for once. I need to be alone, all by myself, for a few hours," I said, trying to keep my voice as neutral as I possibly could. It was a mighty struggle not to break down and cry again, like the weakling he most definitely viewed I was right about now.

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction yet again, in seeing me bawling my little heart out over how much his malicious words I overheard uttered heatedly over my bloody, bullet wounded body to Godric and how they pierced me something deeply. I swore to myself I wouldn't dare to. It was too friggen embarrassing.

"You can stay underneath the house during the daylight hours in your coffin, that's fine, because I loathe even the thought of you or Godric getting all crispy in the sunlight, all because neither of you had a place to take shelter." I almost shuddered visibly at the unbearable imagery that came along with such words. Well, I was mostly frazzled over the idea of Godric getting seriously hurt. Eric, for that matter, could now well and truly go fry for all I cared, after what I heard spill so vindictively from him, without any ounce of thought into my feelings at all. "There is only so much I can take and, honestly, I think I've run out on my daily quota of patience around you today. Not to mention, that gunshot that was sprung up onto my body so suddenly has left me feeling wrung dry, both physically and mentally."

"That is understandable." He nodded briskly, and then added, almost as if an afterthought, "Despite how intolerable it is to admit it, you are growing on me."

"Like poisonous cancer, I hope?"

He gaped at me for no more than a second, before he chuckled, bemused. "Oh, the feisty Faerie Sookie has decided to come out and play yet again. I like it when she's unleashed, and it seems I am the motivator she needs to truly come out of hiding."

"Oh, you haven't seen nothing yet." I lifted my hands up into the air and twiddled my fingers around, sort of playing but mostly being sincere. I would have enjoyed nothing more than for my fingers to do it again, only this time, cause him even more pain and damage. I wanted to see him plunge through a wall, I wanted to see him... bleed. "Not once I whip out my flashlight fingers again, and knock you down off your throne a notch. Too bad you can't stay that way. You're about the most sanctimonious vampire I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!" My look turned sharp, and critical. "You're worse than a vampire-hater," I remarked, probably a little too calmly than I ought to have been. When I was in one of my angry moods, it was easy to forget just who I was talking to, and provoking the way I was. But I think I felt truly resigned then. If he wanted to off me, then so be it. I would let him willingly. "In fact, you're nothin' more... than a heartless, egotistical human-hater!"

It was true, though, and most accurate; I'd learned as much, just by being around him and the way he acted towards me so patronizingly, time and time again. Which was super unjust of him.

"To say that I hate humans, is far of an exaggerated statement. A fair few are tolerable, including... yourself."

"Oh, really?" My eyebrows arched, as I looked him over dubiously. "You're always talking down to me, and taken all the good I've done for granted. In helping Godric by getting him de-silvered. In giving the pair of you my blood, enabling you both to walk out into the sunlight, if limitedly. I think you ought to give me a little more credit, and the courtesy I deserve," I reasoned stoutly, "None of this I Have No Feelings I Could Easily Kill You crap!"

My words got the reaction I desired most. He looked down at me, alarmed, by my honest-to-God words. Obviously no one had dared to put him in his rightful place before, and sure, I could see why. He was far more intimidating than your average vamp, what with the height and all. And then, he said in a thick, slow voice, "I am more than grateful for what you did for Godric, Sookie. I am indebted to you, in fact."

I dipped my chin a tad higher into the air, feeling the disbelief etch wide and clear over my face. "You have a funny way of showin' it, then."

"Believe me, I sincerely am. And, once this is all rightfully over, perhaps I will get the chance to show you that."

Well, that smacked sense out of me. Cryptic as ever. But then again, that's Eric Northman for you. "What?"

He started strolling aimlessly around Gran's porch. I kept my eyes on him determinedly, every single step of the way, while he paced back and forth, back and forth, like a madman high as a kite. "We are wed, after all." He stopped abruptly and turned to meet my eyes. There was something... odd in that look, something that itched at the top layers of my skin. To top it all off, a peculiar faint smile came across his lips and he said, underneath his breath, "To have and not to hold. What is mine is yours to leave or take... what is mine is yours to make your own, and all of that other mawkish mumbo-jumbo."

"But there isn't anything I want from you that you could ever give me," I pointed out strongly.

Well, aside from yourself, that is.

A coy smile broke across my lips, and I almost laughed out-loud deliriously to myself over that thought. God, my way of thinking was so... dull. All the more reason to keep my mouth shut and never say anything at all. It took me a while to break out of my addled, giddy brain, when he stepped sedately closer to where I was standing on the porch, loitering. I had to bring myself to remember why I was here; I wasn't standing there to talk or play around. No, I was there to tell him to get the hell out of my life, even just for one single night, so I could get some peace to myself. Oh, and I was still very much pissed off at him, despite everything.

"'Night, Eric," I said meaningfully, finally getting firm grasp on myself.

In his own funny, dead-quiet way of bidding me goodnight, he actually ran a set of long fingers down the side of my cheek, almost as if he was luxuriating in the warmth of my skin or something. That well and truly sucked the breath outta me.

"Well, night then," I blubbered out, feeling self-conscious and shy as anything. I coaxed myself straight out of it with a firm toss of my head, and turned towards the fly screen door.

"Lover," he said urgently a moment later.

Forcing a cheesy smile, I turned, expecting to at true last hear him say a farewell in pleasant parting. What I got instead, was the alarming sight of him cradling something fluffy and ginger into his chest, rocking it with his strongly limbed arms gently. It was so... maternal and sweet, which almost had me laughing manically to the heavens, because I knew now that Eric Northman was anything but maternal and sweet.

"Don't omit your furry animal."

Oh my Lord.

It dawned onto me a moment too soon, when he turned slowly as not to make big movements to startle the creature, and I realized it was Gran's cat he was holding. His hold on her was surprisingly gentle, like she was no more than weightless paper. Something about full-grown men dealing so nicely to animals had me wobbling inside like Jell-O, I wasn't gonna lie. Especially when it was a vampire like Eric, who could be so brutal and... mean, especially when it came to me.

"Oh, you poor little girl," I laughed, feeling guilty, when I accepted her in my arms carefully. She felt so much lighter than I remembered she had, probably due to my outright neglect in feeding her these past few weeks. I would never forgive myself. How could I be so heartless as to forget Gran's cat like that? Well, I sure had a lot on my mind. Still, it was no excuse. I bent my head down and nuzzled the tip of my nose into her short, silky fur. Then, I groaned loudly and grimaced, instantly regretting that. She smelt so bad and her fur felt so sticky and... damp.

"She is a He," Eric stated casually.

"I beg your pardon?" I darted a confused look up at him. "Uh, no. Eric, Gran's cat is a girl, thank you very much! Like I couldn't tell the difference, you cold freak!"

"A female cat that goes by the name Merlotte?" His low voice was dry and amused, in equal measure. "Right."

"Huh?" My brain mustn't have functioned right at all. I couldn't get what he was saying one tiny bit.

"Just so he knows, the rules still apply, even for Shifters," he said flatly, eyeing Gran's cat with full-blown distaste. "You are my human, and him knowing you well at school counts for nothing."

I was majorly thrown into a serious bout of confusion. It was like Eric was talking in a completely foreign language at me.

I got the explanation I needed next, painfully, when with a funny shriek, Gran's cat flung herself out of my arms and sprung down onto the porch steps, light on the tips of her paws.

Almost like she understood whatever was going on, amazingly, she tilted her furry head up to look at me with those clear, lit eyes of hers, purred at me, then licked at her long whiskers with her pink tongue. She gave out a weird sucking noise next and then, so suddenly, she was no longer there. No, in her place was something much worse and disgusting.

My English teacher from Bon Temps High, Mr. Merlotte.

And to throw some salt into my eyes to sting them and scar me for good measure, he was completely stark-naked. I saw way more than I would have liked to see for an older man, let alone a school teacher, and without any smidgen of control on it, I grunted in disgust and threw myself behind Eric's broad back. Luckily for me, he was so tall it hid all the unpleasantness of Mr. Merlotte sitting naked on the porch step before us with his scratched, red-raw butt cheeks on show.

Perhaps he sensed my disgust, what with our pledge and apparent sharing of feelings, because he said, in a placid tone that I found unfitting over the weight of seeing my teacher naked, "Haven't you heard of clothes, Merlotte? What an eyesore for my dear Sookie." I shrunk into Eric's back, shivering uncontrollably.

Were the surprises ever gonna stop? Geeze.

"This is just as embarrassing for me, as it is for both y'all, now trust me when I say that. But I'm on your side, Sookie. I know a bunch about what's coming out here for you."

My favorite teacher, Mr. Merlotte about the most kind-hearted and decent man I'd ever met on the face of the earth- was in on this, too?

I think I might as well just about said my heartfelt goodbyes to my old and average teenage life. Because this was truly the end-all of it. Mr. Merlotte was my Gran's cat? How? What? When?

"Here, allow me," Eric muttered stiffly, thrusting one of Gran's faded cushions from on her cane-chair somewhere at Mr. Merlotte.

"What the fuck are you?" I mumbled out, before I could even stop the vulgar thread of words hanging off my tongue. I winced, and chided myself at once. "Were you my Gran's cat... all this time?" Well, hell. I was officially thunderstruck.

"Not quite. Now, 'fore you scream, Sookie, you should know, I'm a... a shifter."

"A shifter?" I gasped, clinging onto Eric's arms for dear life. I felt like such a frightened little girl. It was so... degrading. "What?"

"Shifters are despicable creatures," Eric explained readily, "Second almost to humans."

"Oh, shut up, Eric!" I gave him a thumping slap across the back, hard as I could humanly muster. He really was not helping me... at all.