Sookie pulled up to her house. The gravel crunched under her tires. The perfect, even gravel that Eric took care of after he knew she needed it. She would never, ever ask for such a thing. He took it upon himself to have the new drive done after she had let loose about Bill lavishing all of his money on the Bellfleur's. Bill was under no obligation to provide anything for her, but the neglect she felt was clear. The very next day Eric had the gravel laid, she smiled.

She had stopped crying, she was more calm, she was tired. It was her night off and she was happy about that. She knew she was too tired to shield the mind's of the Merlotte's regulars.

"Made for TV movies, popcorn, PJ's...my kind of night" she thought. She was sure Amelia would be more than happy to join her. There was a certain comfort knowing that she had a friend she could talk to about her Supe shit, or sit silently with if needed. After the one-sided yelling match on the drive home, it just might be a night to simply sit.

She took a moment to flip down the sun visor. The vanity light illuminated her tired, blue eye's. You could see that she had been crying, there was no use trying to hide that. She hastily smoothed her hair, wiped her face, and got out of the car.

"Wow, quiet night", she listened, crickets, wind, leaves, no voices.

"Amelia isn't home", she was disappointed. The security lights we on, along with the kitchen light. A note was on the kitchen table under the salt shaker. The same place a substantial reward was left by Eric several months ago.

Sook,

Decided to spend the night at Tray's. I hope everything went well today. If you need to talk just call me, I'll come right home. See you in the morning.

Amelia

She signed her note with a little witch's hat, she giggled at the silly cartoon.

"OK, looks like it's just me and the TV."

She went to the fridge and heated up some leftover pasta. She glanced at the bottles of True Blood she always had on hand now that she had become a part of their world. She slammed the fridge door shut. She had become used to eating her pasta plain. Bill hated garlic so she had all but given up spaghetti sauce. Although, when they first broke up she did go on an Italian eating binge for about a week.

"Funny how lives change", she thought as she ate the last few pieces of plain ziti. Before Bill she was "Crazy Sookie"...barmaid, blond, boobs, lover of all foods. Now she was "Dangerous Sookie"...barmaid, blond, boobs, beaten-up, shot, bit, friend of the pack, friend of the Louisiana and the Nevada Vamps, and, avoider of most foods. She sighed at her life.

Into the bathroom she went, washed her face, brushed out her blond hair, only to pull it up into a pony tail on her head. She changed into a a soft, brushed cotton nightshirt. It was white with pale blue flowers, it had been a gift from her Gran. She took a moment to look at her shower. She felt a surge of pain and an ache of a different sort as she remembered what had happened there. It seemed like years ago. She touched the shower curtain, she closed her eye's. She heard his words.

"Turn around, lover"

She shivered and quickly left the room. As she walked away she felt something else, it was not her confusion, it was his. She stopped dead in her tracks to make sure she was really feeling this. She had caught quick bursts of emotions in the past, but this, this was clear. Confusion, pain, ache. She had thought that their bond was fading, she had only had a few moments recently that made her aware that she could feel him still. Of course there was always the distant hum that was his life in the back of her mind. Thank God that was still there. She was terrified to even think about what she would do if that faint hum was one day suddenly...quiet.

He was miles away and he knew that she was feeling him, he also knew that she was remembering some of their time together.

She removed the bag of popcorn out of the microwave. The smell filled the entire house. She nestled into the couch and got out the afghan.

"Why can I not get away from you"? She stared at the blanket. The "truly hideous" blanket that she had snuggled Eric with. If she had not been so chilly she would have thrown it in a ball in the corner. "Truly hideous", she mimicked, and made a face at the blanket. She would never throw that ugly thing away, it would have to be burned, it almost was, once.

She began to flip through channels. She needed something to make her feel better, something to make her forget just how shitty her lot in life had been. Where was Men in Black when you needed it? Nothing trumps Supes better than aliens. Plus, you get hot men in hit suits saving the world. Where can you go wrong?

She stopped for a moment on The Notebook. "Nope, absolutely not. I am way too horny to have long lost love waved under my nose. I bet I could show Ryan Gosling a thing or two!" she laughed at the idea.

She stopped on When Harry Met Sally. "Amelia loves this movie. She has a really weird fixation with Meg Ryan". She thought out loud. She decided that she would be a good friend and not watch it without her. Just as she thought she was doomed to scan channels all night, she landed on the AMC Network. Her stomach lurched, her eyes welled, she was hooked. It was Gone with the Wind. Even if she wanted to she couldn't stop watching this movie. How many times had she thought about Rhett and Scarlett in relation to she and Eric? Her day was now complete, she might as well just go with it.

"Bonnie Blue? Who the hell allows their daughter to be named Bonnie Blue"? She scolded the TV. This was her best effort to deflect the fact that she was seeing just how blue and stunning Eric's eyes had been. How brightly they glowed when she held his gaze after he commanded, "look at me, lover." She shivered again. She remembered the way her body responded when he said those words. The hairs on her arm stood up, she was on fire. Those few days they shared were the most incredible of her sexual life. She may be an inexperienced lover by the numbers, but she sure knew enough to know the difference in the lovers she had been with.

Eric had given her so much pleasure that she physically ached to be held by him. He was so gentle, so meticulous. He was an absolute master, and he knew this. He made her body do things she never thought possible, and she had enjoyed every moment of it.

Bill had also been a good lover, but there was always something urgent and secret with Bill. She remembered how he had been so rough with her the night in the cemetery, she actually feared for her life. Deep down she knew he would never actually kill her, but the fact that he was so forceful and so...inhumane, it scared her. It was not the only time he had been rough, she reflected on her time with Bill. She remember how many times she had suffered at his hands. He had once almost killed her, and yes, she could say the words now, but not out loud to anyone, he had raped her.

It always felt like he was never able to completely give himself over to her, she knew now that was because their relationship had been based entirely on a lie. He had lied to her in the worst of ways. He gained her trust, her love, her everything, and it was all a job. She was a job, a target, a conquest.

"There has only been one you". Bill's words were echoing in her head. He had done his best in the past year to earn back her love. To show her that she may have been a job at first, but he fell deeply in love with her. He desperately wanted to be with her and he was willing to spend to rest of eternity proving himself to her. When he had spoken those words, that is exactly what they were, words. She did not swoon at his gesture. Instead she let go of her anger. She accepted what had happened between them. She did not know if she would ever be able to completely forgive him, but she could accept it and move on.

"Why now", she thought. "I can't handle all of this in one day. Hunter, Bill, Eric, it's just too much. I'm just too tired." she sighed.

She finished watching the movie and she dried her eyes as Vivien Leigh's voice echoed in her mind, "Tomorrow is another day"! She took these words to heart. The evening had set off a chain of emotions that could no longer be avoided, she knew what needed to be done. She picked up the phone and dialed the number that had become all to familiar to her. It was not the number to the Fangtasia bar, it was the number to Eric's cell phone. How many times had she dialed his number, only to not press the send button. There were some days when there was something not quite right in their bond, and she would find herself dialing those numbers. If she could only hear his voice she would feel more settled. But, it would not be hard for him to figure out it was her that was calling. As usual, the last step in making the call would be left off and she would put the phone down. Tonight she swallowed hard, dialed, and put the phone to her ear.

"Are you OK my lover" He breathed as his greeting. It was almost urgent in it's sound.

"Yes...wait, how did you know it was me", she snapped back

"I have had your blood lover, we are bonded...Plus, I have Caller ID". She could feel the grin across is face. He could be so...Eric.

"Eric, I'm tired. I'm calling because" she was stopped.

"Because we need to talk" came out of his mouth. "You are feeling hurt this evening, you have decided that it is time for us to settle the past".

"Yes, tomorrow if that is OK with you". She almost hoped that he would turn her down and demand that things be settled that very minute. That would be the Eric thing to do.

"Sookie, if you wish to have this discussion tomorrow that is fine, if you wish to have it next week, that is fine. If you rather wait until next year, again that is fine." He paused. "My point is, we will have this discussion, but we will have it when the time is right for you".

She could feel the sincerity in his voice, just as he could here the the appreciation in her breath. He also felt her tension, he knew that she would be carrying the weight of this with her all night, and during the day tomorrow while she worked her shift at Merlotte's.

"Thank you, Eric" She was completely sincere.

"I remember another time you thanked me, lover" he said.

She felt the familiar heat again and knew that he was smirking in a way that only he could.

"Yeah, well, I remember being thanked myself." She couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, how true. I thanked you multiple times. And, I hope to do so again. What time shall I meet you tomorrow?" There was an undertone of pure sex in his voice.

"I'm working during the day, I'll be home around 5:30. Do you mind coming out here? I know it's kind of short notice."

"I will be there. I will tell Pam that I have something very important that I must attend to. Sookie," his voice became suddenly dead serious, "we will get through this. We will come to an understanding".

"Goodnight Eric".

"Goodnight lover".

It was past 1am and she was absolutely exhausted. She had so much going through her mind. She slid into her bed and pulled the blankets up around her neck. She thought about everything tomorrow would bring. The last thing she remembered thinking was..."After all, tomorrow is another day"!