AN: So, here we being the frustration, but I think it'll all be worth it. And, this is also where we're going to jump ahead, because I have NO idea how to put Maria into the next few seasons with the other characters without it being super forced. So, here's the newest edition. Let me know what you think and enjoy!

Chapter 28

Season 4, Episode 10

Eric sat on the couch in Bill's den beside Sookie. He had blood smeared across his shirt and some still staining his neck, though he'd wiped the majority of it from his face. She wouldn't look at him and it hurt more than he thought it would.

"I remember everything." He finally said after minutes of silence. "The past, you and me."

He looked at her, but she still stared at the carpet. Sookie's entire demeanor had changed the second she realized he was no longer a hollow shell. He saw it happen at the hotel, that moment where he changed in her eyes. They were filled with… disappointment. She was disappointed that he was back.

"That person, the other Eric," He continued to speak, "He's still here. Look at me," She was hesitant, but eventually met his gaze. "Can't you see him in my eyes? I'm still me, just more."

"Uh-huh," She mumbled in a noncommittal sort of what.

His stomach dropped.

Eric reached for her hand, which she allowed him to take. She didn't shy away, but she didn't embrace it like she had only twelve hours prior. Sookie had grown cold.

Almost immediately, Eric thought back to what Maria had told him that evening, standing next to her stove while she made herself something to eat. She knew this would happen. She knew Sookie would turn her back the moment his memories returned. At the time, Eric was furious. He swore that it wasn't true, because that wasn't how love worked. He'd been naïve, apparently, because Sookie's love seemed to have conditions.

Eric shook the thought away. He didn't want to believe it. Perhaps it was that stupid, idealistic part of him that'd recently been given free-reign who wouldn't shut up, but whatever the real reason, he all but refused to believe that Sookie would turn her back on him so quickly.

"He's still here, Sookie." He said. "Why can't you see him in my eyes?"

She drew her gaze up, meeting his. The blue shined brightly, innocently, but lacked the previous warmth he saw there.

"I do, but…" Her words fell off for a moment. "I love you, Eric, but the things you've done… they're terrible."

He clenched his jaw. He didn't understand. Those things he'd done, the things that were 'holding her back' now weren't an issue before. She brushed them aside when he was an empty shell, ignored them despite everyone attempting to remind her of the monster he was. So why did it matter now?

Was she really as manipulative as Maria said she was?

The front door opened, the sound of which diverted their attention from one another.

"Oh my God," Pam gasped as she approached the pair.

Eric rose fluidly to his feet and opened his arms. She slid into the hug quickly. Pam grasped at his shirt, fisted it within her hands as she clung to him. Over her shoulder, he saw Maria enter the mansion at a much slower, lazier pace. She closed the front door and met Eric's gaze. She said nothing and remained blank.

"Are you back? Is it you?" Pam asked desperately as she put some space between them.

"It's me." He told his Progeny.

"Why didn't you summon me?" She asked. He didn't reply. "How'd you get the witch to undo the spell?"

"I didn't. Sookie did."

He shifted enough to the side so that both Pam and Maria could see the small blonde sitting on the couch. Pam moved uncomfortably and offered a thanks that mirrored it, but that wasn't what held his attention. It was how Maria and Sookie eyed one another. There was rage there, an anger that was somehow different than the previous sorts. He narrowed his gaze curiously on Maria. She seemed to sense as much and looked up at him without expression.

Bill speaking to Nan in the other room soon pulled Eric away from the women surrounding him. In reality, he simply used it as an excuse to escape the electric hatred that sparked between Sookie and Maria.

"Fire killed her four hundred years ago, it will kill her again." Bill said sternly.

"You're fucking our whole agenda up the ass." Nan hissed before she pressed her phone to her ear.

"Wait, you're going to blow up Moon Goddess?" Sookie asked in a panicked tone. "You can't. What about the humans trapped in there?"

"Looks like they bet on the wrong horse." Eric replied coldly as he leaned against the wall. He didn't know where the tone had come from, but he didn't want to keep it at bay. She'd offended him a moment ago.

Sookie glowered at him before she gave her attention back to Bill. "What about Tara? If it weren't for her, I never would've gone to the hotel, Eric would still be a zombie, and you'd be dead."

"I cannot jeopardize the whole of my kind just for a handful of humans."

"Lovable, ain't he?" Eric said coolly.

Sookie tensed her jaw, but ignored his comment. "At least let me help."

"The last time you 'helped', you were shot and nearly died." He said. "Stay out of this, Sookie."

She mulled over his words for little more than a second before she stormed out of the manor. Eric highly doubted anyone thought she would actually let the matter lie.

"We'll all silver ourselves and go to ground." Bill told those who remained. His gaze drifted to Maria. "Miss Romanov, if you're willing to fight alongside us, any of the guest rooms are yours."

She tilted her chin down in the slightest of head nods. Bill left, presumably to do whatever it was the planned to do. In the background, they could hear Nan still angrily spouting vitriol and whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the phone with her, which brought a smile to Pam's lips. She always was a fan of rage.

Eric's gaze lazily drifted to Maria. She was stood in the den with her arms hanging at her side, her back to him. He noted the way her head rolled from side to side as she looked over the décor, but he doubted there was much of a reason. Somehow, he knew she was only in there to avoid him and the other vampires. Eric had no intention of letting it work.

He glided easily along the floor plan and soon joined the thrope within the adjacent room. She turned her head enough to the side that he could see her profile. Maria remained silent and still, waiting for whatever it was Eric would say. He chose to speak quickly.

"Thank you for taking care of me." He told her with a level of detachment that surprised him.

Maria spun casually on her heel to face him. Her expression remained as blank as it had been when she entered the mansion. No brow twitch, no smile, no scowl. She showed no sign of life beyond a gentle cadence of breathing and blinking periodically.

"Sure," She said, speaking for the first time since arriving.

He didn't proceed because he wasn't entirely certain how. Eric could broach a number of subjects with her, from her tending to him while he'd been incapacitated, to what she'd shown him through their contact. He wanted to acknowledge all of it, but for whatever reason, he didn't know where to start, and her unreadable attitude toward him didn't offer any footing.

Before he could open his mouth again, Bill called out to the vampires. He told them dawn was on the way and that they'd better go below to the cells so that they could be sufficiently restrained. Eric cast Maria one more glance before he did as the others.

As he descended the stairs into the basement of prison cells where he'd been only a few nights prior, he recalled the last week with a level of clarity he was glad to have. He finally had references, anchor-points from which he could draw the truth.

Just as he'd assumed when his mind was fractured, Maria hadn't treated him any differently than she did before Antonia cursed him. She was a bit tenderer in regards to the way she phrased things, but she told him the truth. She'd been genuine and upfront, answering his questions with ease. With his memories back now, he could see that. He knew she hadn't lied.

Sookie, on the other hand, was harder to explain to himself. When he thought back to their conversations, he could see that'd she'd been honest as well, but her answers weren't straight like Maria's. Instead, they slithered from side to side, curled and twisted. They were flourished: an answer, but with an extra bit added to it that tugged on an emotion needlessly.

The best example he could think of was when he asked both young women what they'd do if his memories returned, or remained gone. Maria was blunt. She told him that it was his choice, that if he wanted them back -fine. If he didn't, then she was sure to tell him that Pam and herself would be there to help answer any questions he had. But, she was sure to instill that it was his choice regardless of how she felt about it. In fact, he couldn't recall her saying anything about her own feelings toward the matter.

Sookie, however, had again spoken in one of her twisting, curling answers. With her soft voice, and big innocent eyes, she told him that she hoped he'd never remember. She pressed her body to his, filled his nose with the delicate scent of her perfume and her blood, and begged without begging that he remain as he was. Sookie had added emotion to her answer, reminding the memory-less vampire that he'd hurt her and the people around her when he was himself. She peppered her response with just enough guilt that it made him never want to know who he was.

He didn't mind at the time, but with a clear head came obvious clarity. He saw it now, and Eric wasn't entirely certain he minded. True, he'd heard Pam and Maria speaking the night before about Sookie's apparent ability to leap from one man to the next with blinding speed, but he didn't want to believe it.

The trouble with his current train of thought was Eric Northman was well-aware he was being foolish. He knew how stupid it was, and yet, it didn't stop him. It was things like this he mocked others so openly about and why he'd always kept a tight rein on his own feelings because simply knowing you're acting like an idiot didn't always help you stop.

And then there was another issue. Maria cared about him much deeper than her icy demeanor would imply. She'd been so desperate in that moment to show him who he was willing to sacrifice to the True Death that he was certain she shared more than she ever meant to. But he'd seen it. He'd felt it, and Maria could never slip out of that truth.

The following night, Moon Goddess Emporium shined like a beacon in the distance. The van ride had been primarily silent except for the female with the slightly British lilt narrating their route. As they parked, Bill and Eric exited the vehicle. The former opened the rear allowing Pam, Jessica, and Maria to exit. When she did, Maria noticed Eric's gaze linger on her for a second longer than she felt it should.

They hadn't spoken to one another since his memories had returned, and part of her was grateful for it. While the childish romantic wanted to race for him with arms stretched wide, embrace him tightly and plant a kiss on his lips because he was back, the rational person in her mind wouldn't allow it. Not only were they not living in a movie or some kind of romance novel, but she was genuinely embarrassed.

Eric had chosen Sookie whether it was a conscious action or not. Small things he did told her so, from the way he held her hand, to the way he looked at her. Maria could see what he might not have been entirely aware of, and it hurt. It hurt because she lied when Eric asked if she was in love with him. She was, at least as much as she assumed she was capable, and now he knew it. Eric knew how she felt in the purest sense, and hadn't mentioned it once. As a result, embarrassment settled in.

With their weapons securely strapped to their bodies, Maria cradling a brand new Kalashnikov that she suspected Eric had a hand in, they readied themselves for the assault. Before they could manage, however, Jason Stackhouse raced out from the shadows. He went on to tell them that Sookie was inside and, furiously, their plans had to be changed.

"Yeah," Pam growled at the blonde jock. "Fuckin' Sookie. As usual, she's in the goddamn way."

"Hey!" Jason snapped. He approached Eric with clear intent. "Sookie picked you up off the side of the road, cold and scared. She took you to her house."

"Well, technically, it's my house."

"Fuck you." He hissed. "And you," He soon turned his attention on Bill. "How many times has she saved your life? Lettin' you use her like your own personal buffet. Are you both fuckin' nuts?"

Bill didn't reply at first, but seemed to come to a decision relatively quickly.

"We must abort." He declared to the small group.

"I agree." Eric added.

"Jesus Christ, gentlemen." Pam said with thick irritation. "Don't tell me you're about to risk our whole species for some gash in a sundress."

Jason stared at her in angry shock.

"I'm starting to think that 'gash' is too nice a word." Maria muttered just loudly enough the others could hear.

"Hey, fuck you!" He snapped, pointing a stern finger at her.

"No, fuck her." She shot back, pointing at the emporium. "She needs to stay dead."

"If you touch her," Jason approached her, exuding anger. He soon stood over her, staring down at Maria as threateningly as she assumed he was capable. She wasn't frightened.

"You'll what?" Maria stood up to him, meeting his stare without blinking.

His conviction began to waver when he heard the deep, inhuman crackle in the back of her throat. Slowly, Jason retreated as though he was worried she might attack.

"Well," He finally said, "It don't matter anyhow. Look," Jason reached into his pocket and retrieved a pocket knife. With a flourish, he threw it at the building. Yards away from the door, it hit an invisible barrier. "Goes 'round the whole dang place."

"Great," Pam grumbled.

"We need to regroup." Bill told the others. "Form a new plan."

"This is fucking ridiculous." Maria growled hatefully.

"I agree." Pam replied as she crossed her arms over her chest in frustration.

The two shared a glance and in it, Maria knew that she and Pam were on the same page. If it were up to them, Sookie would die. The barrier around the property was a problem, but the fact that both Eric and Bill were concerned over the half-fairy angered them both.

The vampires stepped aside and muttered to one another, forming some kind of plan as to how they should proceed when they were attacked by a pair of vampires that Bill evidently knew. The male of the two was killed quickly, and the female subdued beneath the heel of Eric's boot. Maria grinned crookedly to herself when Pam snatched the woman's necklace away, siting its value with a cheeky smile of her own.

"Antonia!" Bill bellowed, calling out to the witch inside. "Show your face, witch! Hiding behind magic like a coward does not become you."

The taunting worked and within a few short minutes, Antonia emerged from the shop. The vampire Bill now held beneath his shoe chanted her loyalty. It had zero effect on the moment. Bill was all too happy to throw her against the barrier. It was like a vampiric bug-zapper.

Antonia explained the simple design of it. If Maria didn't despise the witch so much, she might have been impressed by the fact that she'd somehow harnessed sunlight.

Antonia and Bill continued to speak to one another, but it was clear early on that neither was truly willing to submit to the other. The proof came when Antonia demanded that, in order for Sookie to be released, Bill and Eric would have to kill themselves. At first, Maria scoffed and laughed at the demand just as Pam had. It wasn't until the pair agreed that her face fell.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me?!" Pam yelled angrily.

Maria stared at him wide-eyed. She expected such stupid, romantic bullshit from Compton, but not from Eric.

"I'll shoot you," Bill told Eric with a calm voice. "And then Pam will shoot me. Agreed?"

Eric, his expression primarily blank, nodded. He looked back over his shoulder at Sookie as he lowered himself to his knees. Maria had difficulty believing what she was seeing. It took her brain far too long to catch up, but when it did, she reacted.

Maria raced toward Eric, grabbed his collar, and yanked him back. She tossed him toward the building behind them. He landed easily on his feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked her tersely.

"Trying to understand." She told him in the same tone. "Are you really about to kill yourself over some fairy slag? Seriously?"

"This is my choice." He said, bowing up on her as he rose to full height.

"How are you even dumber now than before?" She hissed at him. "Pull your head out of your ass, you fucking child!"

He bowed up to her, rising to his full height so he could stare down at her as intimidatingly as possible. "Get out of my way." His voice was low and threatening, but it held no sway over her.

"Bullshit." Pam spat. "You're not going to die over some hillbilly Barbie."

The blonde raced for the back of the SUV they'd all arrived in, removed the rocket launcher, and took aim.

"Kill her!" Maria shouted.

"Pam, I forbid you!" Eric bellowed, but his words fell on deaf ears. She didn't hesitate to launch the projectile.

The rocket slammed into the barrier where it struggled against it until its timer gave way and it erupted in a ball of fire. The explosion sent everyone on the outside of the barrier flying. It reverberated through the small street, shaking windows and setting off a distant car alarm.

A loud, ungodly ring screamed in Maria's ears. It was enough to drown out every other sound and, if she had to guess, signified broken eardrums.

She was on her back and in so much pain that half of her body was numb. She felt how broken she was, felt bones that splintered, others that had turned to dust, and layers of skin and muscle that had been cooked.

Someone appeared above her, someone she couldn't quite see. She felt heat on her tongue and tasted copper. Within seconds, Maria's body began to mend itself. Her vision soon cleared and when the world came into focus, she saw that it was Eric feeding her. His gaze danced over her while he held his wrist in place as though taking in how well she was healing. When her strength returned, he withdrew and helped her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a hand on her back to help steady her.

Maria looked up at him through her lashes. She reacted immediately. Eric's head snapped to the side after her fist made sharp contact with his jaw. His lips were split open and his jaw sat at an odd angle. They began to heal before he shifted to look at her again.

"Fucking idiot." She hissed at him.

She was so angry and disappointed. Why were men so fucking stupid when it came to women?

Eric looked down at her. His fangs suddenly sprang free and he roared in pain. Without warning, he, Pam, Jessica, and Bill all began a stilted walk toward to protection spell. They shouted in pain, struggled against whatever had control of them, but they couldn't escape it.

Jason did his best to keep them from touching what would definitely kill them, but he was weak in comparison. Maria, despite how enraged she was, sprang into action. She went through them, grabbing each and throwing them as far as she could from the barrier. Bill hit the ground hard and rolled, which she took a bit of pleasure it, but her interference barely helped. They were all on their feet again and charging toward the spell.

She and Jason did what they could to keep the struggling vampires alive and, thankfully, it seemed to work. A wave of magic washed over the area, taking away the compulsion in an instant.

The vampires lingered for a moment, pacing like feral animals locked in a cage. Pam, poor Pam, approached her Maker. Her voice quivered, devoid of the confidence it usually held. He spun on his heel, fangs still bared as he hissed down at her.

"Get out of my sight before I kill you." He said hatefully.

"Eric, enough!" Maria snapped.

He instantly turned his ire on her. "Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you."

"Look at yourself." She said, her face twisted with disgust. "So willing to lay down your life for some bitch who is just going to walk away the first second she finds something better."

He roared at her and charged. Eric reached out for her throat and held it tight enough her head was forced back, but he didn't compress his fingers. Instead, they formed a steel cage around her neck. She could breathe and speak freely. Eric only wanted to frighten her. Two years ago, it might have worked.

"The great Eric Northman, wrapped around the finger of a waitress. Pathetic."

Maria didn't know what filled her with such rage, but it was there. Maybe she was simply hurt that Eric thought so little of himself, or maybe-

"What's the matter, you majesty? Jealous?" His voice dripped with the same anger she felt, as well as a certain type of distain she was a little surprised to hear. But, it wasn't as surprising as what he'd said, or that it struck a very real chord somewhere inside her.

Maria clenched her jaw. She formed her fists to the point she felt the tips of her fingernails slice through her gloves and into her palms. In a moment, she knew she'd smell her own blood.

Eric leaned closer until his narrow nose nearly brushed hers. "That's it, isn't it?" He practically cooed the words, but they were coated in ice. "Kitty's jealous because she wants me all to herself."

He was toying with her, hitting at her weakest points. Pam had clearly struck the nerve that turned off Eric's already dwindling compassion. Hell, if he'd threatened to kill his own Progeny, Maria knew there was nothing he wouldn't say to her. So, she did what any sensible woman would. She fought back with words of her own.

Maria leaned just an iota closer, the best she could manage with his unmovable hold. "I should have killed the bitch last night when I had the chance."

The corner of Eric's stormy blue eyes twitched just a touch. If she hadn't been so close, she might not have seen it. His taunting smile gradually began to drop.

"I found her in the cemetery, bleeding from a bullet in the gut." Maria continued. His smile was entirely gone. "I could've saved her, but it was so beautiful watching that crimson soak into her shirt, hearing her heart beat slower and slower and slower. She stared up at me with those big eyes, all filled with terror, and you know what I did? I laughed. I laughed and I left her there to die, and if I ever get the chance, I will kill her." His eyes slowly began to widen. She watched as those storm clouds of rage that were always on the horizon swarmed back to the foreground. She smiled wickedly. "I am going to slice through her pretty little face, and then I'm going to tear into her with my teeth." Her lips curled back to reveal her dangerous canines. Unlike the vampires, her pointed teeth were always visible. "And I'm going to make sure no amount of vamp blood will ever bring her back."

Eric began to tremble. Maria couldn't say if he was aware of it or not, but he was. Two reasons were likely the cause. Either one, Eric was so furious he had no control over himself because of her threat, or two and the most likely, he knew she wasn't lying.

They stared unblinkingly at one another for what felt like an eternity before Eric finally spoke.

"Our deal is done." He told her stiffly. "I never want to see you again, do you hear me? Crawl back into whatever hole birthed you."

He launched her away from him, but as was her ability, Maria easily landed on her feet. She rose to full height and met his glare with ease.

"I rescind my invitation, Viking." She told him calmly. "And just so you know, when your little waitress leaves you, don't come crawling back to me, okay? Save us both the embarrassment. I don't want some fairy's sloppy seconds."

He was livid. Flames might have burst from his eyes to burn her where she stood if it was possible.

Suddenly, and without warning, a shimmer drew their dwindling attention. The barrier was down.

Eric and Bill were in The Moon Goddess Emporium in an instant and, a few minutes later, there were gunshots. Maria didn't bother following them or finding out what had happened. Instead, she turned her back on the whole ordeal.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" She heard Jessica ask.

"Away." She replied.

Without a glance back, Maria walked away from the street and everything behind her.