Authors Notes: Hey everyone, so I couldn't wait another twenty four hours to post this chapter, so I decided to give it to ya'll a day early. Yay! Seriously though ya'll have been great, there is a ton of new readers out there who have blessed me with some magnificent reviews, and I am feeling truly blessed.

Now for those of you who take the time to actually read my authors notes, I have a home work assignment for all of you. As you all are aware, because I told you last week, I am putting together a website that has all of my stories on them, including original works. Anyways, I am trying to put together a playlist for each chapter for both of my stories, this one and The Dance. The great thing about the site that I am using is that you can imbed music, and pictures into the posts and pages, its fuck awesome.

What is my point you may ask? Well, I am stuck!! I am having a hell of time picking out songs and when I get stuck I tend to not be productive. I have been trying to pick out a song for the Sookie/Lorena fight in chapter 1 for almost a week now and I am not getting anywhere. So I turn to you, my lovely readers to send me your ideas for various songs, for various scenes throughout the entire story. Just send me your ideas; maybe add a little tag that says something like. "I think this song would go well with scene whatever whatever." I would really appreciate it if ya'll help me out here. Seriously I want my site to be really good, and I feel like utilizing the music aspect of the site is important.

Also, if anyone wants to help out by making pictures for the beginning of each chapter that would be awesome as well. I tried, I actually did two, for the first two chapters of this story, but, well, I am not very good with things like that, I think my four year old could have probably done better. Lol. So if you would like to undertake that as well, let me know and I will send you my email address so that you can send them to me.

I know all of this is a lot to ask of you, but I would be immensely grateful if ya'll could take the time to help, even if it is just in little ways. I work really hard on my writing every week and I am trying very hard to make a place for ya'll to utilize it to its fullest potential.

Another quick little tidbit, I have twitter, sigh, I found that it is a necessary thing to help promote my writing and I must admit that it has worked brilliantly. So, if you want to follow me on twitter let me know and I will give you my name there so you can hit me up whenever your little heart's desires. I am always around; I am a stay at home mom/writer so my computer is never far away.

Okay last thing. Tons of love to all of you that have supported me, and a huge thanks to all of you who have sent me your kind words to encourage me by letting me know you love my story. Please continue to do so. It means the world to me. Thanks to all of you the readers and everyone send pleasant thoughts to my beautiful editor Catie, without her my stories wouldn't be nearly as good.

Tons of love from the west coast,

Lilli

Chapter 9

**Eric's POV**

I pace restlessly back and forth, forth and back, across the ridiculous suite that was soon to be the turning point of my entire existence. Possibility after possibility of varying outcomes flit through my brain, not a single one taking hold for long before a new, more horrendous outcome would take root and worm its way through the echoing corridors of my mind. So much potential to go very wrong and very little potential of going very right, how likely was I to get my happily ever after? I mean really, I am a vampire, a blood sucking fiend. I have done atrocious things over the space and breadth that has made up my lifetime. There were hundreds, no thousands of different ways this entire cluster fuck could go wrong and only one possibility of going right. With my fate laying in the hands of Nan Flannigan, the coldhearted bitch of the century, the chances of it all working out seemed to be slim to none.

My thoughts spiral into greater and greater morose possibilities and I find myself starting to become frantic. I want, more than anything, to rush through the door that my Sookie has disappeared through and rip her from the clutches of Nan Flannigan and all others of her ilk. The more I think the more it made sense to me that she was going to end up allowing Sookie to be returned to Bill Compton and I would never, NEVER allow such a travesty to be committed.

Sookie deserves better than that, she is special, beyond just the obvious reasons. Yes, she has her telepathy and the possibility of much more, but there is so much more to her than that, she is so much more than that. The fact that she was able to make the chalice glow, when she touched it, just cemented the idea in my head even further, that I could never allow that pitiful excuse for a vampire to touch her again. Hell, he shouldn't even be able to inhabit the same planet as her, let alone the same room.

'Calm yourself Eric. Your restless thoughts do none of us any good. You will just bring unnecessary trouble onto our heads. Have faith that Nan's decision will be just.' I flinch just a fraction of movement, too small for anyone else in the room to notice. It has been centuries since Godric has chosen to speak to me this way. He is the only one I have ever been able to do this with, not even Pam and I have this connection. As if reading my thoughts, for all I know he really is, Godric says, 'You know very well why you cannot speak to Pam in this manner.'

'The chalice.' I nod in comprehension.

'Yes and no.'

'Why do you always do that!? Give me half answers to questions that deserve to be answered fully. We have had our bond a long time Godric and I KNOW that you have yet to reveal everything to me.'

He sighs visibly and just stares at me for a long moment, contemplating my anger and his answer. 'The Chalice is a large part of why we are connected the way that we are, but I think that there is more to it than that.'

'You think. You THINK! Why do you not know? It is your damn chalice after all. It is your damn bond. It was you that started all of this. Why do you not have the answers? Why? TELL ME!'

'Eric, do you really think that I could possibly know everything there is to know about a magical gift from the Gods. I know nothing; I was given a gift, a reward for services rendered. Most of what I know I can only guess at. What I know to be fact I have told you already. So, in essence I have been completely forthright with you.'

I roll my eyes at that. 'Care to make an educated guess then?'

'Not really, no. Now is not the time for such matters, you are deflecting your anger at the situation onto me and you are not going to be reasonable to what I have to say. You know the story of the origins already; you will pass that story onto Sookie when the time is right. I have the utmost confidence that the two of you will figure out the rest. In time.'

Something about that statement throws me off, it is just wrong. 'Wait, what do you mean Godric? The two of us? I do not understand, you speak as if you will not be around.'

'It doesn't matter. Focus on the girl, she is the key, of that I am positive. You need to work that brilliant brain of yours in planning. Sophie Anne will not take the loss of Sookie lightly. She will move against you and she will try to take the girl. If you are not careful and prepared she will succeed. One thing you can be certain of is that if Sophie Anne gets her claws into our beloved Sookie, she will suffer a far worse fate than anything that Compton did to her.'

His words spin in my head, creating plans and back up plans that will keep Sookie safe, not only from Sophie Anne, but also from every supernatural being on the planet. Sophie Anne won't be the only one who seeks to steal her away. Godric's words replay in my head and I realize that once again he is curiously missing from the future plans of Sookie's life. 'Godric, why are you speaking like you will not be there with me to help protect her?'

Godric just stares at me, refusing to answer my question and it hangs in the air between us. I can almost feel the vibration of it because the tension is forming from the unspoken answer. Godric pulls his soft, sorrowful eyes away from me and looks at the door Sookie had entered. A small smile peeked at the corner of his mouth. I cocked my head at him; I could see the happiness that she brought him. So why would he not include himself in her future?

'Godric…' He looked up at me and I watch as the smile falters slightly from his face. 'Why have you not included yourself in her future? You clearly love her.' A small amount of the warmth that had fled from his face suddenly reappeared, yes he definitely loved her. So why would he not be around for her, for me, for us?

'Godric, do you think that I would come between the two of you? Do you think that I would stop you from having her, just as I have her? Or are you being gracious and bowing out so that I can have happiness? I know that you were with her, I could still taste you on her skin. I would never stand between the two of you. I want the three of us to be together. There is no reason why it would not work, the three of us I mean. The chalice clearly thinks we belong together. So why are you not included in our future?'

He sighs heavily and I think that he is going to refuse to answer my questions. I can feel how heavy his heart is and I know that he is so very hurt by being alone. My brain is just refusing to put together the answers to the questions; it is refusing to see the solution that I know is staring me in my face. 'Sometimes Eric, things are just not meant to be, even if you desperately want them to be.' He says and his voice in my head is but a mere whisper.

Well what the fuck does that mean? I am even more confused now than I was before. I open my mouth to demand an explanation from him, when the door Sookie had exited through opens, revealing my little blonde miracle. My head snaps towards the sound and I watch Nan re-enter the room followed by Sookie and Isabelle. Sookie is a mess, her hair is mussed and her eyes and nose are swollen from obviously crying. A small growl escapes my lips at the sight and I stride across the room taking Sookie in my arms, and pull her tightly into my chest.

"Sit Viking, she is fine." Nan snaps at me. Oh how I wish I had a nice sharp pointy object handy. I would shove through that bitch's eye.

"Are you alright?" I whisper to Sookie, gently brushing her golden tresses off of her face. A loud snarl comes from my rear, followed by the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh. I turn my head and see Bill sprawled out on the floor, struggling to get at Sookie and me, with Nan's goon's firmly holding him in place. 'Well at least they're good for something.' I think humorously.

'Indeed.' Came Godric's clipped reply to my inner dialog. I look over and notice that he is clenching and unclenching his fists as if they are just itching for an excuse to take Compton's worthless heart.

"Enough of this shit." Nan bellows to the room in general. "Eric sit your fucking ass down now, Compton fucking have some dignity for fucks sake, Sookie join Godric on the couch, Mitch and Garret if any of these assholes so much as rises from their seat a fraction of an inch, end them." Nan's goons nod in compliance and I sulk slightly as I pull Sookie towards the couch, wedging her firmly between Godric and myself. There is no way I am going to trust those goons to protect my Sookie. Anyone who gets close enough to harm her will be ended before they get into an arms length of her presence.

"Good." Nan says brightly clapping her hands together. Fucking frigid bitch, this is like a huge fucking game to her. The chances that she is going to do what is just and right seem to be less and less. Quick plans run through my head in the eventuality of that occurrence. Godric, Isabelle, and I can take Nan and her two goons without any problem. Bill was the wild card; he would have to go first, if things didn't go our way; they would all be dust in the ground the moment she rendered her judgment in Compton's favor.

I look to Godric, to see if he is listening in on my scheming and to see if he will go along with what I have in mind. He just nods once, almost imperceptibly, in agreement. Good, no matter what Sookie will not be taken tonight. I feel something in me relax at this thought. No matter what, Sookie will be safe. We may have to disappear, but she will be safe. I bet she would love Ireland. I could just see her flitting about the endless emerald hills, happy and content in our new life. Yeah, Ireland is as good a place as any to disappear without a trace. Plus it helps that I have an untraceable alternate identity there.

"So I have a few more questions to ask the rest of you before I render my verdict on all of tonight's issues." Nan says pulling me from my thoughts. "Bill," Nan says lowering her voice and turning her attention to the fucking waste of space, "did you drag Sookie from Godric's nest after she had just saved the sheriffs of two different areas?"

"Well… I… it was my right!" Bill squirms uncomfortably.

"That is not what I asked, now answer the question. Did you drag Sookie from the nest, yes or no?"

"Yes." Bill says sullenly.

"Good, now did both your sheriff and sheriff Godric order you to release the girl before you took her?"

"I…" I can see the argument dying to bubble forth from Bill's lips. I am practically jumping in my seat with excitement that somehow Sookie had convinced Nan to be on our side.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION, I will not ask again."

"Yes." Bill hisses in a low whisper.

"Did you assault her in the limo on the way to the hotel?"

"Yes." Bill snaps his tone and becomes more and more irritated by the second.

"Did you in fact drag her screaming and bloody through a lobby full of humans?"

"Yes."

"Once you managed to finally wrangle her into the room, did you then beat her severally and rape her?" Bill sits quietly staring at his hands; I can see the stubbornness plastered all over his face. He knows that this isn't going his way. "Did you?" Nan snaps as she begins to tap her toe in impatience at his reluctance to answering the questions.

"YES! She is MINE; I can and did do with her what I pleased. She is a worthless fucking blood bag to be used and discarded at my leisure and you cannot condemn me for that. You don't have the power."

Nan smirks, "Before I address the issue you pointed out there Mr. Compton, I have one more question. When Godric and Eric came to rescue the girl did she ask for their protection from you?"

"Uhh… well… it doesn't…"

"I am waiting Compton answer the question. Did Sookie ask Godric and Eric for their protection when they entered your hotel suite?"

"They had no business being there in the first place."

"That is not the point, but since you brought that up, they do indeed have the right to enter any domicile housing a vampire, to make sure that nothing illegal is going on. So, I ask again, and I warn you that I am running out of patience, did Ms Stackhouse ask Godric and Eric for protection when they entered your hotel suite?"

Bill narrows his eyes at Nan; he looks as if he is trying to set fire to her with his mind. If the matters at hand weren't so grave I would be laughing my ass off at him. Bill juts his chin stubbornly and crosses his arms across his chest, clearly refusing to answer the question. He knew, just as much as any vampire knew, that if your un-bonded human asked for protection from another vampire that the former vampire's rights were null and void.

Nan narrows her icy gaze on him, clearly pissed that he is refusing to answer her. "Very well then Compton if you do not wish to answer at the moment, I will ask my questions of your sheriff and sheriff Godric. Perhaps by the time I am through with them you will be more inclined to answer."

Nan turns her white blond head towards Godric and I, raises an eyebrow, clearly pondering what her first question will be. "Godric, why did you enter the suite of Mr. Compton?"

"Eric and I were at the nest; we felt Sookie's pain and knew that Compton was harming her. Eric and I went to investigate an illegal activity, which we both knew for a fact was occurring. He had been warned before he left the nest and blatantly choose to ignore it."

"You felt her pain?" she pauses for but a moment contemplating those words. "Ah yes, she valiantly," she stretches the word valiantly in a sarcastic tone, "rescued you and the Viking from your final deaths by sucking silver from you. Although I am positive that you do not feel the emotions of a human without a blood exchange, so am I correct in assuming that you also took from her?"

"Yes," Godric says simply.

"YOU SEE!" Bill screeches, "They admit their guilt. They should never have taken blood from MY human without my permission and I most certainly would never have granted it!"

I open my mouth, incensed at his idiocy. I am going to scream, yell, cuss, beat, and kill that fucker. Before I even have an opportunity for the first letter to pass my lip though, Nan raises her hand to silence me. She shoots me a quick glare of warning and then does something I will never forget for all of my days, she looks over at Sookie and gives her a quick wink. What the fuck? Perhaps they had bonded a little more than I thought; how the hell did Sookie do it? She was always doing things like this though; she would take the roughest, hardest, meanest vamp around, and they would become her best friend. It is truly an amazing feat; all the vamps that meet her just love her instantly. Except Bill. Now there is some food for thought, maybe she can't bring out the good in a vampire if there isn't any good there in the first place.

"Indeed I see your point Bill," Nan says as she turns to Godric and asks, "You admit to taking blood from Sookie, of your own free will without Bill's permission?"

"No."

Nan narrows her eyes at him, "But you just said that you exchanged with her. Are you now retracting that statement?"

"No, I said that that there was an exchange. I never said it was of my own free will. I was unconscious at the time. I had no say in it taking place. The moment that I became aware of her giving me her blood, I withdrew. I would never take from another vampire without his or her permission."

"Hmmm… and you Viking did you exchange with Sookie?"

"Yes, I did and before you ask, I too was unaware of Sookie taking my blood when she removed the bullets, as well as giving me hers to help bring me back to health. Also like Godric the moment that I came to my senses I withdrew."

"Good." She turns to Bill and says, "Well there goes that claim. They are not guilty of committing that crime. Did you ever inform Sookie that she was never to take another vampires blood or give her own to another vampire?"

Bill crosses his arms again, once again refusing to answer the question because that asshole knows that he is wrong. Nan just sighs and turns to Sookie. "Sookie, did Mr. Compton ever inform you that you were not to start a blood bond with another vampire or exchange blood in any way with other vampires?"

Sookie closes her eyes, clearly thinking through every single conversation they ever had to be sure her answer was honest. How sweet, I think sarcastically. Even if he had she should just lie about it, but then again, she wouldn't be who she is if she just lied openly. "No, not that I can remember, and I don't even know what a blood bond is, so I know for a fact he never mentioned anything about it."

Nan turns to Bill with a look that screams that she has him in her sights and is ready to go in for the kill. "Well, once again Bill, I find that Godric and Eric are not guilty of any indiscretion in taking Sookie's blood or her taking theirs. Since it is quite clear to me that you never explained what a blood bond is to your human, nor did you order her never to take blood from another, how could they be guilty? They can't be so, let's just move on from that shall we? Are you ready to answer my question yet? Did Sookie ask for Eric and Godric's protection when they entered the hotel room?"

Bill crosses his arms and looks away from her; he really doesn't want to answer that question, and I can see him scrambling to come up with something, anything in order to win this fight. I know though that it is a losing battle; he will lose, and he will suffer greatly for what he did. "Very well than Compton, you can be stubborn but it will do you no good. You will answer eventually. Godric, when you entered Compton's hotel suite what did you find?"

"We found Sookie, face down, in her own bile. It was clear that she had been beaten badly by him. I could make out the bruises shaped like his hands and fingers all over her body. I could tell that he had raped her as well, she was naked for one and for another I could smell his seed spilled within her, and she was clearly in no condition to have consented to anything. The moment she was aware that we had come into the room, she asked us for our protection and I granted it, and the rest as the humans say is history."

Nan nods once at him and looks at me. "Do you have anything to add Eric?"

"No, it happened as my maker stated. We came into the room, assessed the situation, noting that Sookie had indeed been badly abused in multiple ways. I went to her immediately helping her roll over, and while Godric dealt with Compton, Sookie asked for our protection and then I glamoured her."

Nan turns to Bill, her icy glare boring into him. "Now, you have to answer. I have heard the testimony of three different people stating that Sookie did indeed ask for protection from Eric and Godric. So, Bill, when Eric and Godric came into the room did Sookie indeed ask for their protection? And before you stubbornly protest, I warn you my patience has run out and if you refuse to answer I am going to put the heel of my shoe through your eye. I have been told that it is most excruciating having a silver spiked heel shoved through the eye socket and into the brain. Some vampires never recover from such an injury; I would suggest you think on that before you refuse me for a third time. I have been generous so far, but I warn you I can be cruel."

Bill blanches at the threat, he knows she is serious, and I can't help but do an eternal happy dance that he is squirming. "Yes, she did indeed ask for their protection when they came into my hotel room."

"So why are you wasting my fucking time then? They have done nothing wrong. In fact it is you who has violated a multitude of laws, not them."

"I have done no such thing!" he says astounded.

"Really? You took the girl, beat her, raped her, drug her through a lobby full of humans bloody and screaming for help. You blatantly disobeyed your sheriff and the sheriff whose area you are in. You admitted that he warned you not to take the girl, not to be rough with the girl, but you refused to listen. Then last night after he rescued the girl from your nefarious deeds you were ordered from his area or face final death and dismemberment and yet you still refused to listen. You brought this mockery of a case before me, wasting my precious time and energy when you were clearly in the wrong. You have done nothing but make a fool of yourself all over a human girl. Do you have anything to say for yourself or your actions before I sentence you?"

"It doesn't matter what you say, your judgment will be overridden. You do not have the power and I will take the girl. She does not belong to them she belongs to my queen."

"Really?" Nan says cocking her head slightly reminding me of a bird eying the mouse that has just walked into its sights.

"Yes really you stupid bitch. She is the queen's and if you do not return her to me, your miserable existence will be ended," Bill threatens and I have to give him some props for his sheer unmitigated gall at such a threat.

"Bill, are you aware that there have been changes in the laws since we have come out of the coffin?" Bill tries to stutter a response but Nan quickly cuts him off. "Shut up you fucking idiot. This is easily rectified." She snaps her head around and brings Sookie into her sights. "Sookie do you, or have you ever, belonged to Queen Sophie Anne of Louisiana?"

"No, I most certainly do not! How could I belong to some queen I have never even met?" Sookie responds admittedly.

"Well, that's settled then. You see Bill she does not belong to your Queen."

"But…"

"Oh, wait there are further questions of who she belongs to." This time Nan doesn't even take her eyes off of Bill and asks Sookie, "Sookie to whom do you belong?"

"Godric and Eric," Sookie says proudly.

"You see Bill, she admits she belongs to Godric and Eric. Now how is it that she would belong to a queen she has never met."

"The Queen wants the girl… I… uh… was supposed to… umm… acquire her," Bill says, stuttering and becoming more and more nervous by the second.

"Really?" Nan says in an odd mixture of pleasure and sarcasm.

"Well, yes. So you see Nan, that blood bag belongs to the Queen and no matter what you order she will be returned to her rightful place. Which is at my side," Bill says boldly clearly building up a little backbone. Man he was fucking stupid. I know he is walking into some form of a trap that Nan is laying before him like a big, fat, sparkly gift, and just like a kid on Christmas morning, he can't resist.

"Is that so?" Nan asks, giving Bill the last little inch of rope he needs to hang himself with.

"Yes that is correct. You are so fucked, not only have you crossed the wrong vampire, but you crossed a queen. You are such an idiot Nan, when I am through with you, you will be polishing my shoes with your tongue. That is if you are lucky enough to still be alive, once my queen hears of your treachery if you dare to defy her."

Nan leans forward, teetering on the edge of her chair and lowers her voice. "Tell me Compton, do you see your queen here?"

Bill looked taken aback by the question. "Of course not, don't be stupid."

"I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on that point. Bill, were you aware that The Council and the magister have created new rules and guidelines that we all must abide by now that we are out of the coffin?"

"Yes I have seen those," he snorts disgustedly, "ridiculous rules. They are beneath us. No real vampire would live by them."

"Really, hmmm I find it most fascinating that you feel that way. Were you also aware that when I took the position as head of the VRA I was given total power in dealing with vampires who choose to break the laws?" Bill beings to open his mouth to protest but Nan stands quickly and darts across the room lifting Bill by his throat. "Even if your ridiculous queen was here, I would still find in favor of Ms Stackhouse. You have broken every single one of our new rules that were set in place to help our transition into society be an easy one. Neither you, or your fucking queen will ever, EVER lay a finger on Ms Stackhouse."

Nan throws Bill roughly to the floor and places her beautiful, wonderful, magnificent, sharp, pointy, silver heel into Bill's quivering chest. "I find you guilty. If you ever come in the same state that Sookie resides in, even if you had no clue she was living there, you will be instantly put to your final death. I will make sure that every single sheriff, king, and queen the world over knows this. As for your punishment, hmm, I am feeling generous, and I will defer to your most beloved queen in this matter. I am sure that she will more than enjoy putting you in your proper place after having screwed her so enormously. For she too is banned from ever residing in the same state as Sookie."

"But she is the queen of Louisiana, if Sookie chooses to return home, she would have to give up her throne. You can't do that, it's not fair."

"Do I look like I give a fuck? She put herself in this position, and you won't be seeing me or anyone else on The Council for that matter, shed a tear if Sophie Anne is forced to abdicate her ill gotten throne. Now get out so I can finish with the rest of this meeting. You have twenty minutes to be out of the state of Texas or I will stake your ass myself."

Nan kicks Bill hard in his side, and I can hear a few of his ribs crack. I can't help but to let out a little laugh, that I quickly try to cover with a cough. "How will I know if Sookie chooses to return home?"

"Hmm, you won't. Not my problem. Not my concern. Yours and yours alone. Do tell Sophie that I send my warmest regards." With that Bill is gone, off into the night and hopefully out of our lives. Although he is punished and probably will be filleted for his idiocy on this trip, I feel that he got off way too easy after all that he has done. If I ever lay my eyes upon his weaselly ass again I will pluck them from his skull and use his brain as a cum dumpster. Fucking asshole.

"What a fucking fiasco. You're lucky I don't send you all to the magister." Nan sighs and sits back down in her chair and turns to Isabelle, Godric, Sookie, and myself. "Godric, you're fired, you fucked up, good news is I may have a new position for you in the near future. Until then though you are to train your replacement. Eric, you are going to take over as sheriff of area nine and I am placing Sookie in your protective custody here in Texas. Sookie I am sorry, but you are going to have to move here. From now on you will be working for the VRA and with your new position you will become protected by The Council. It will prevent future incidents like this from occurring ever again. I will make sure to send for your things and anything else that will help make your transition easier. Did I miss anything?" Nan asks looking around the room at each of us in turn.

Nan has just turned all of our worlds upside down and yet fixed every single issue that we had with a perfection that I would have thought beyond her capability. Yes, I will have to leave my bar, leave my area, but I will have a new bar, a new area, and everything can be rebuilt. Adapt or die, that is the way of a vampire, and this solution will help ensure Sookie's safety. I am extremely grateful, plus the three of us can be together without ever having to worry about forcing the others into giving something up. Nan just did it for us; she made us all give something up so that we could be together.

"Since none of you can think of anything that I may have missed," Nan says, "I will call this meeting to a close. Godric, Eric, and Sookie come to my suite and fill out the necessary forms."

Godric nods in agreement and says, "Soon. First I have something to say. I'm sorry. I apologize for all the harm I've caused, for all our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends, I swear."

"Take it easy it's just a few signatures," Nan says sarcastically as she stands and leaves the room. But something in his words is not sitting right with me.

Flashes of our various conversations flitter through my head, placing pieces of the puzzle here and there and suddenly it all clicks into place. Godric is standing quietly by the window looking out over the city in silent contemplation. "No." I tell him fiercely. I will not allow him to do this. There is no way I am going to allow my maker meet the sun.

"Look in my heart," he says sadly, a tear rolling down his cheek. I can feel his torment, his utter disgust with what he is. After seeing everything that our Sookie has endured at the hands of a vampire it is just too much for him. He has already been thinking about doing it, and watching a gentle creature like Sookie have to endure such travesty is just too much for him to bear.

"You have to listen to me," I beg, as I grab a hold of his bicep firmly. Please Gods don't let him do this.

"What's the matter ya'll?" Sookie asks, sliding up beside us and looking between the two of us. Clearly she is taking in all of the tension that is currently streaking through the air and shocking all those around us like little zaps of electricity. "Eric…" she says slowly. "Godric… what is going on? You two are scaring me. What is the matter?"

Godric looks down at her and smiles warmly for but a moment. I can tell that he is struggling with this decision. He turns his face from her and looks me in my eyes. "There's nothing to say."

"There is," I beg. I can feel the sting of tears behind my eyes and I fiercely force them down. I am not going to cry because he is not going to do this.

"On the roof," Godric says softly and pulls himself from my grip and leaves the room. He left, he just walked away, leaving Sookie and I standing confused and alone in his wake.