A/N This story is seriousl consuming me. Everyone loves it and i just can't stop writing it. i feel bad neglecting my other three babies, but when the muse speaks, i can't get her to shut up so enjoy and leave me some love, it just makes me want to write more!

I went back into the house and started pacing the living room. The last thing that I had wanted was for Eric to go on a killing spree after hearing my story tonight. This was not what I wanted at all. I needed to talk to somebody, to figure out what was going on. I needed to talk to Nessa. "Nessa, please if you can hear me, I need to talk to you." I felt silly talking to myself in an empty house, but I was desperate. Luckily it paid off. Sookie, go up to bed and fall asleep and I will meet you in your dreams.

I grabbed my purse incase my phone rang and went upstairs. I set it down on the dresser and curled up into the bed. My nerves were on edge so I had no idea how I was going to fall asleep, but surprisingly it didn't take me long at all. I was dreaming, but I was still her in bed with Nessa sitting beside me and looking down at me. "I told you there would be consequences for you to accept."

"Having Eric murder someone was not what I had in mind. If I had known I would have never told him."

"You had to tell him. It will bring you closer together."

"How am I suppose to grow closer to a man who is about to kill my Uncle?"

"Sookie, you need to understand that Eric is taking his role as your protector very seriously. Your Uncle hurt you in a way that no man should ever hurt a child. He is doing what he know in his gut is right."

"How can murdering an old man be right?"

"Sookie, did your Uncle hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Did he frighten you?"

"Yes."

"Does what he did to you still effect you to this day?"

"Yes."

"Are you afraid, even after all these years, that he could somehow come and still hurt you even though he is an old man?"

I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. That had always been my biggest fear. I knew that it was next to impossible that that could actually happen, but it had always been there in the back of my mind. "Yes."

"How do you think that you will feel when you know that he is no longer around?"

That was another thing that I had thought about the older he'd gotten. It was as if I was waiting to hear that he was dead and I could release this ball of worry and tension that I was carrying around inside of me. "Safe."

"Does anything else make you feel safe?"

I answered that question without even thinking about it. "Eric. I barely know him, but he makes me feel safe."

"Knowing what he's going to do, does that make you feel any different about him?"

I stopped and thought about that for a moment. I knew, without being told, that Eric had killed before. Being alive for that long and being a vampire, it was just part of the package and he didn't have a choice in some instances. What was one more body added to that count. That man was blood, but he hadn't been family for a very long time. He had hurt me and my cousin Hadley, maybe even my Aunt Linda and who knows how man others. This man didn't deserve to live. He deserved to suffer like he made others suffer and if Eric needed to do this to protect me I would let him and I wouldn't let it bother me. "No, I don't feel different about him. Bartlett deserves what's coming to him."

Nessa smiled at me and pulled me in for a hug. "That's my girl. This will make things so much better for you and your Viking."

"Is he going to have to kill more people?"

"A few at least, but it's only to keep you safe. You just need to remember that and know that he cares for you very much even now, he just is too stubborn to realize it yet, but he will."

"I'm starting to care for him too. I wish that he would come back."

"You will get your wish, but not how you think. It's time for you to wake up now."

I felt pulled out of my dream and I instantly sat up in bed. I opened my mind to see if anyone was in the house or close by. I was alone, but not for long. I looked over at the clock and it was already after three o'clock in the morning. I had been asleep for hours, but it had only felt like a few minutes.

I got out of bed, put on a tank top and shorts and went downstairs to the kitchen. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. I ate quickly, then put my dishes in the sink. I didn't know what to do with myself now. I had a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and I didn't know what to do.

I started pacing the living room trying to will Eric to come back, but it just wasn't working. I was about to go back upstairs and try to go back to sleep when I heard a loud crash coming from the front door. I ran over and threw the door open. "Oh my God! Eric!" He was in a heap on the ground covered in cuts and bruises that weren't healing and covered in blood. I looked around and opened my mind to listen for any trouble, but there wasn't anyone nearby.

I knelt down next to him and brushed the hair out of his face. He had what looked like net marks burned on his face. I could see the same marks on his neck and part of his arms. He looked paler than normal and I knew that it wasn't good that he wasn't healing. I saw a tear on his arm that had trail of blood running down his arm and I knew that it was drainers that had attacked him.

I stood up and gently dragged him inside and curse myself for not picking up any first aid supplies. That would be the first thing I picked up when I went shopping. I got him into the kitchen and wet some paper towels to try to clean him up some.

I knelt down next to him resting his head in my lap and gently wiped the blood away from his face and he groaned under my touch. "Eric, can you hear me? Talk to me Baby please."

"I can hear you. Why did you just call me baby? I'm not an infant."

"It's a term of endearment. Now what the hell happened to you?"

"I got distracted. It won't happen again."

"Eric, I'm not stupid. You were attacked by drainers, weren't you?"

"Yes." He wouldn't look up at me.

"Are you going to elaborate or should I just leave you here to bleed all over my floor?"

"They caught me off guard. I was lost in my own thoughts and they came at me from behind. I tried to get away, but I didn't have an open opportunity until they had a significant amount of my blood drained."

No wonder he wasn't healing. I automatically put my wrist to his mouth. "You need to drink."

He pushed my arm away. "No. I will take to much. I need more than you can give me right now."

"You need it. Bite me."

"No. Call Pam. She can bring me some bagged blood."

"You are a stubborn son of a bitch." I ran upstairs to my purse and carried my cell phone downstairs as I scrolled for Pam's number and called her. She picked up on the very first ring.

"WHAT!"

Well isn't she pleasant. "Pam, it's Sookie."

"I don't have time to talk. Something had happened…"

"Pam, he's here with me."

"Is he all right?"

"He was attacked by drainers. He needs blood, but he won't take mine. He wants you to bring him some bagged blood."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." She hung up before I could say anything else. I tucked my phone in my pocked and went back into the kitchen.

Eric was sitting up against the counter wiping more blood off of himself. "Pam's on her way. Are you going to take some of my blood now so we can get you upstairs or are you going to continue to be a stubborn asshole?"

"I will not take your blood and I can make it upstairs."

"Well at least let me help you." I bent down to help him up, but he pushed me away.

"NO! I can do it myself." He did manage to get to his feet, but he could barely stand up. I went to help him again, but he pushed me away again. "No, I am quite capable of walking on my own."

"Is it the vampire, the Viking, or the male part of you that is so fucking stubborn?" He didn't answer me, so I locked my arms around his waist before he could push me away again and helped him to the stairs. "If you're like this all of the time you are the one who is going to need protection from me because I will kick your butt Buddy."

"I think I like baby better."

"Oh suck it up or I'll throw you down the stairs." He stayed quiet as I led him upstairs and into the master bedroom. "Let's get you out of these bloody clothes before you get in bed."

"Lover, if you wanted me naked in bed, all you had to do was ask."

"As tempting as that is Viking, you are in no shape to be of any use to me right now."

"I'm sure that we could figure something out."

"I'm doing all the work as it is. Just let it go." I helped him out of his bloody clothes, then found him a pair of sleep pants to put on. He managed to get them on by himself while I managed to keep my ogling to a minimum. I got him situated in bed when the doorbell ran. I reached out with my telepathy and found a void at that door. "That must be Pam. Do you want her to come up and check on you?"

"NO! I don't want her to see me like this. Don't even invite her inside." I thought that that was rude, but he was injured and I wasn't about to argue with him.

I went downstairs and opened the door to find Pam pacing the porch, holding a cooler that I assumed was full of donor blood. "Hi Pam."

She stopped pacing and stood in front of me. "How is he? Is he all right? Invite me in so I can see him for myself."

"I can't do that Pam."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't want you to see him the way he is."

"Is he in that bad a shape?"

"It's more his pride that is in bad shape. He was clipped from behind and he's being all 'I can take care of myself, I don't need anybody's help'."

"You do know that I can hear you up here, right?"

"Damn vampire hearing."

"Well, it seems like he is going to be just fine." She handed me the cooler of blood and took of into the night.

"Well goodbye to you too." I closed and looked the door behind me. I was about to head upstairs when I realized the blood was cold. "Eric, do you want me to heat up the blood for you?"

"No, the pain is starting to get very uncomfortable. I'll just drink it cold."

Now I felt like shit. I was being bitchy when my protector was still in pain. I ran upstairs, into the room and jumped on the bed with the cooler. "I'm sorry." I pulled out a bag of blood. "Do you need a glass or something?"

"This is fine." I watched as his fangs popped out and he punctured a hole in it and drank from it like a juice box. I found it funny and as strange as it sounds, kind of sexy too. I wished that it was my neck that he was sucking on instead, but if he wanted to be a stubborn, so be it.

After his third bag of blood he was fully healed, but he still looked paler than he should. As he reached for a forth bag I stopped him. I moved the cooler and curled up next to him. I pulled my hair away and offered him my neck. "Please drink from me Eric."

"No, I'm fine now."

"Eric, you are still paler than you should be. Please drink from me." He was tense next and I wanted to ease that tension. "I'm not angry with you for what you did tonight." He looked down at me and I continued. "I understand why you did it and I'm glad that you did it. I couldn't be angry or upset with you if I tried."

He pulled me tighter against him, but he didn't bite me. "I thought that you would be furious with my actions this evening. What changed your mind?"

"I slept on it and my dream helped me to rationalize and understand what you were doing. You're protecting me and I'm grateful for everything that you have done and will do for me." I looked into his eyes and stroked his now healed cheek. "Will you drink now please?"

He traced a finger gently up and down my neck. "Why are you being nice to me after what I've done? I know that you say you understand why I did what I did it, but that doesn't mean you should be kind to me."

"You were hurt, but it's more than that. I like you Eric. I know that you're different from other vampires."

"I'm still a cold blooded killer Sookie."

"You may be that, but I don't think another vampire would jump up and down on a bed with me, then take me out for ice cream that you didn't even get to enjoy."

A smile spread across his face. "Who said I didn't get to enjoy it Lover?"

"What do you mean?"

He moved down on the bed so that we were face to face. "Our first kiss. You weren't the only thing that I tasted." He leaned in and kissed me gently, probing my lips with his tongue. I opened my mouth and let him explore with his tongue while I explored with my hands. I could get lost in his kisses if I wanted to, but he pulled away from me. "Now you taste like sugar and citrus and milk." He kissed me again. "It's an interesting flavor."

I tangled my fingers in his hair. "I have something that tastes even better." I pulled him down to my neck. "Please bite me."

He nuzzled his nose against my neck. "I've never had anyone beg me to bite me without expecting sex in return."

I felt no better than the fangbangers at Fangtasia. "I'm pathetic aren't I? I'm sorry, I just want you to be better. I think that I should go and sleep in another room tonight." I tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let me go."

He brought his hand up to my face and turned me so that I was looking up into his eyes. "You are not pathetic. You are brave and strong and caring and beautiful." He stroked my cheek with his thumb. "I should have never made you beg in the first place. I won't have you doing that again." He leaned into my neck, kissed and ran his tongue over the spot where he was going to bite, then gently slid his fangs in to my neck.

There was no pain in his bite, only pleasure. I could feel every draw all the way to my toes and I could feel the moisture pool between my legs. I wanted to feel him inside of me more than anything in that moment, but I pushed it aside for now.

He pulled his fangs out a moment later and I knew that he was going to heal the marks, I didn't know how I knew, but I did know that I didn't want him to heal them. "No, don't, I want to keep them." I could feel that he was about to say something, but I stopped him by trying to pull him off of the bed. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"To take a shower. You still have blood in your hair." I didn't know whose blood it was and I didn't want to know, I just wanted this whole night washed away.

I led him into the bathroom, turned on the water to get it to the right temperature, then started removing my clothes. "Are you planning on joining me Lover?"

I looked up at him as I stood naked before him. "That was my current plan." I helped him off with his sleep pants, then wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. "I just need to be close to you right now." I felt a warmth flow through me in that moment, but it didn't feel like it was coming from me. I didn't want to think about feelings right now, I just wanted to feel Eric.

I pulled him into the shower and I stood close to him as I washed away the traces of this night from his body. He traced his hands up and down my body as I did that, but none of our touches were sexual. This was what I needed, just to feel. "Why are you so quiet little one?"

I didn't want to tell him what I had been pushing to the back of my mind ever since I found him on the front steps. I had been scared and I had hid it so that he wouldn't notice, but here, now with just the two of us, I couldn't keep it inside. I pushed him down to his knees so that I could wash his hair as I spoke. "When I found you on the porch I was scared. You were bloody and pale and I didn't know what to do." I massaged the shampoo into his scalp and I could feel him looking up at me. "In that moment I realized that I could have lost you tonight and I didn't like it one bit."

"Even if something were to happen to me, you would be well taken care of and protected."

I yanked his hair so that I had his attention. I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. "I don't give a shit about my protection. If it would keep you safe I would go to the queen and give up my freedom." He pulled me down so that we were face to face, or more so and he wiped my tears away. "I know that I have only known you a few days, but I care about you and I don't know what I would do if I lost you." I threw my arms around him and cried into his neck. He caressed me and rocked me to help me calm down.

When I had stopped crying and calmed down he lifted me to my feet and cleaned me as gently and thoroughly as I had him. His touch was gentle and there was still nothing sexual to it.

When we were both clean and rinsed he helped me out and dried me off before wrapping a towel tightly around me. He dried himself off, wrapping a towel around his waist, then lifted me bridal style and carried me back into the bedroom. He set me down in the overstuffed arm chair in the room, then he went about changing the slightly bloody and still damp sheets. He moved with vampire speed and it was amazing to watch him finish in seconds.

When he was done he crouched down in front of me to look me in the eyes. "Where are you're night clothes?"

I thought that was a strange question until I realized that he wanted to take care of me now. In that moment I realized that Nessa had been wrong about something that she had told me. "I don't want to get dressed. Just hold me while we go to rest."

He gently scooped me up, removing my towel and gently set me down on the bed. "Do you have paper and pen?"

"In my purse on the dresser."

He retrieved what he needed and wrote something down before setting it down on the nightstand closer to me. "I wrote down the code you will need to get out. The locks will automatically reset when the door closes." I watched at he set the locks then headed back to bed. With anyone else I would have been uncomfortable be locked in with them, but I didn't mind with Eric.

He dropped his towel when he reached the bed and slid in beside me. I immediately slid closer to him and curled up next to him, resting my head on his chest. I thought for a second that he would push me away, but he didn't, he wrapped his arms around me. "Goodnight Sookie."

"Goodnight Eric." I closed my eyes and waited until I could feel that he died for the day and said something that I wanted him to hear, but it was too soon for me to say to him where he could hear. "I love you."