That was yesterday. I got out of my car, grabbing my purse. I was reaching into the back to grab my purchases, when I felt the danger.

Damned vampire lover. We'll teach her to blaspheme.

Hatehatehatehatehatehatehatehate.

This is going to be so much fun. We'll show her what real men, living men can do.

I spun around, swinging with my purse and caught one of them in the head with it, sending him staggering back into his friends.

I tried to run up the steps to the house. If I could just get inside, Amelia's wards would keep them out. Suddenly, my leg was pulled out from under me, and I went down with a loud thunk, my chest hitting the top step. It knocked the wind right out of me. I tried to scream, but I had no air. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, Amelia was spending the day and evening with Tray and Bill was in Las Vegas. No one was there to hear me.

I looked down at the hand grabbing my foot and dragging me down the steps. I saw tattoos. I'd seen those tattoos before. On Arlene's Fellowship friend. Jail Tats I'd called him. I kicked at him fiercely with my free leg, and heard a satisfying crunch.

"Bitch!" He grunted.

The next thing I knew my head was ringing, blood was running down my face, and I was lying in the dirt of my back yard, looking into a leering face. It was Shorty. The guy I'd hit on the head with my tray. He had my pants down, pushed up my sweater, and was trying to tear off my panties. The other two were holding me down.

I didn't need to hear their thoughts to know what they were planning on doing, but I had no defenses then and I could hear it all. Every vile thing they planned to do to me. I started screaming and fighting wildly. Then the pain started. They didn't want me fighting. They wanted me punished, they wanted me humbled and cowed. They began beating me senseless. At least with the Rattrays, I was able to curl up into a ball and try to protect myself. This time, with three of them, I was held down and punched over and over. I felt something snap, then a sharp pain and I could no longer feel one of my legs. I also felt something horrible in the vicinity of my left kidney. The source of the sharp pain. As I lay there, limply flopping, Jail Tats climbed up on me. I could feel him reach down to unzip his pants, then start to position himself between my legs. I wanted to scream some more, but I was choking on my blood. I looked up and saw the sun setting. A beautiful, crimson sky. I thought it fitting that I was going to die under a sky like that, a sky of blood.

I mentally prepared myself for Jail Tat's penetration, but it never came. I felt his weight come off of me, and I could hear screaming, lots of screaming, but I couldn't get my eyes to focus on where the sounds were coming from. Then there was silence.

A cool hand brushed my hair from my face. "Sookie! Sookie!"

Bill's voice. Bill's hands. Bill's face.

No, no, no, Bill is in Las Vegas with Eric. I must be dead already. Is this heaven?

"Sookie, look at me!"

I forced my eyes to focus and there was Bill. I could feel pain in my face, my arms, my chest and I knew that I was still alive. But barely and I still couldn't feel anything in one of my legs.

"Bill, it's really you?" I croaked.

"Yes Sookie."

"Are they dead?"

"Yes."

"Good." It might not have been very Christian of me, but I really didn't care at the time.

"Drink Sookie, you must drink." Bill placed his bleeding wrist to my mouth.

"Can't," I panted. "Eric."

"Sookie, you have to. Please," he implored. "You are dying."

I shook my head stubbornly. "Eric." Bill's beautiful face contorted with fear and despair.

"Sookie, please don't leave me."

I moved my head side to side again, but it was more of a flop.

"You can't die . . .you . . ." Then he said, "Sookie, if you die, with the bond, it may kill him." He played the card he knew I couldn't refuse.

A cold fist gripped my heart. Eric dead. No, no, no! I can't let that happen!

I opened my mouth and felt Bill's blood begin to drip in. I grabbed his wrist and began to suck in earnest. I could already start feeling my leg. This wasn't like the time he saved me from the Rats. I've had so much more vampire blood since then that I was healing quicker. I could feel small cuts along my body begin to knit themselves. I sat up, still clinging to Bill's wrist. I heard him groan.

"Sookie." Bill's voice was ragged, but I couldn't stop. "Sookie!" He pulled his wrist away, and I licked my lips, like a cat with cream on its whiskers.

I looked at him and his eyes smoldered. His arousal was apparent. It couldn't be helped, the blood exchange always worked this way. Then I realized I was feeling his arousal. I felt it intensely. A shot of electricity between my legs. I may have groaned. This was the third time I had taken blood from Bill. Were we now bonded? I didn't recall this happening with Eric in Rhodes. Suddenly, I was flooded with his feelings.

Love. Desire. Jealousy. Shame. Sorrow. Lovelovelovelovelove.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. If I'd ever had any doubts about his feelings for me, this wiped them clean off the map. The intensity of them nearly overwhelmed me. I stood up, a bit shakily. Bill's eyes never left my face. I turned away, and walked up the steps to my house. Bill followed me in.

"Sookie," he began. His voice sent frissons of desire coursing through me.

"I need a shower," was my reply, and walked to my room, peeling off what was left of my clothing, and turned on the hot water. I stood under it for a long time, just feeling Bill nestled there in my head, in my heart. I finally understood how much he loved me, regardless of why he introduced himself to me in the first place. I understood how desperate he felt at his subservience to Lorena. I understood the depths of his despair and jealousy, when I was with Eric. I understood his terror for me at Rhodes. Undercutting it all was his desire.

"I'd give anything to lie with you again," he'd said to me. Now I could feel what he meant.

I washed my hair, then soaped myself, watching all traces of the dirt and blood swirl down the drain. I felt good. Vampire blood did that. I know I should have been horrified by what happened to me, but I was exhilarated. I was so happy to be alive. I felt like I was crackling with energy. I wrapped the towel around my body and I could feel each fiber gliding over my skin. I tingled.

I walked into my bedroom and Bill was sitting in the chair. He was at my side instantly.

"Sookie, I'm so sorry. I should have gotten to you quicker. What they did . . ." his voice faltered.

"I'm fine Bill."

"But Sookie, what they did."

Then it hit me. Just like Dallas, Bill believed I had been raped.

"Bill, I'm fine." I put my hand on his chest. "You were in time."

He looked like he didn't believe me.

"Bill, I promise. You were in time. They didn't do anything but beat me up."

He cupped my face in his hands, searching my eyes.

"Really?"

"Really. I could hear them. They didn't want me fighting back, but I did. That's why they beat me so badly. I wouldn't let them do that to me and then you . . ." my voice broke a little. "My knight in shining armor. You saved me again."

"Sookie," he breathed, and I could feel all his love, and desire, pulsating along the bond.

"You love me." It wasn't a question. I had stated fact. There was no doubt anymore.

Bill looked me in the eyes. "Always." Then he leaned in and kissed my cheeks. When I didn't pull away he moved to my forehead and pulled me close. I melted against him. It felt so good, so familiar.

Bill was holding me close, smelling my hair, running his hand over my back. "Sookie," he sighed, and started to pull away.

"Don't go," I pleaded.

"Sookie, please," his voice was hoarse. "I can't . . . [EDITED]

*************NOTE***************

SORRY FOLKS, A VERY SAD, SMALL MINDED PERSON WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VERY EMPTY AND BORING LIFE, HAS TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO AFTER ALL STORIES THEY BELIEVE ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THIS SITE AND REPORT, SO THE STORIES WILL BE TAKEN DOWN.

BONDS WILL REMAIN HERE ON FFN. I WILL BE EDITING THE CHAPTERS, SO AS NOT TO OFFEND THE THOUGHT POLICE, AND BECAUSE I DO NOT WISH FOR ALL THE LOVELY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED HERE OVER THE YEARS TO BE DELETED, BECAUSE THE OWNERS OF THIS SITE REMOVE EVERYTHING WHOLESALE, WITHOUT CHECKING ANYTHING OR WARNING TO THE AUTHORS. AFTER THE CUT THERE WILL BE ELLIPSES ... WHICH WILL INDICATE THAT THE REST OF THE CHAPTER HAS BEEN [EDITED] OUT, BECAUSE I AM NOT GOING TO SECOND GUESS WHAT WILL OFFEND THESE NINNIES ON ANY GIVEN DAY.

HOWEVER, ALL MY STORIES WILL REMAIN IN THEIR FULL, UNCENSORED FORMS ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN. SEE MY PROFILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.