Chapter One

She couldn't believe that he was really gone and for good this time. She placed a few flowers on his grave as tears threatened to fall again. Her and Bill had their ups and downs over the years but there was always love between them even when he was not quite himself. To live in a world without him was depressing and yet everyone else just moved on. They went back to their old lives and she went back to hers, though nothing would ever be the same again.

She had lost so many people over the years. First with her Gram then with Alcide and Tara. Besides Jason, there was no one else for her to lose, no one that would leave such an impact that is. The world seemed colder, and her sadness was profound. She needed a change from this place even if just for a little while. She packed two bags and left a note for her brother so he wouldn't worry.

Somehow in these last few years of chaos, she had lost herself and she desperately needed to find out who she was now.

She didn't even know where she was going to go. Just somewhere away from Bon Temps. She put the last bag into her car and closed the trunk. She sensed him before he spoke.

"Eric, you know I don't like it when you sneak up on me." She turned and faced him.

"Nice to see you too Sookie." He smirked. "Going somewhere."

"Yeah, I am. Why are you here?"

"I stopped by your job. Arlene said you took some time off."

"Wow, she actually talked to you. I'm surprised."

"Well, she is fucking a vampire now, so..."

"Must you always be so crude?"

"Pardon me. She is dating a vampire."

She walked around the driver's side door but he put his hand on it so she couldn't open it. "I'm not in the mood. I should have left when it was still light out." She sighed as she turned and looked at him.

"So that's it? Bill's gone so you are throwing in the towel?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"I just need a change, alright."

"Ok, fair enough." He opened her car door for her. "So where are we going?"

"We are going nowhere." She rolled her eyes.

"Why? I'm up for a change of scenery." He walked over to the passenger side door, and she huffed.

"Eric, you're not coming with me."

"I'm not just going to let you run off and get yourself in trouble." He got into the seat and his legs hit the dashboard. He fumbled with the seat until it stretched back comfortably to fit his size.

"I'm serious. You're not coming and last time I checked I can handle myself pretty well."

"You know it's still not safe for you to be out there. Any vampire within a mile radius can smell you."

"And is that supposed to scare me?" She rolled her eyes.

"It should. You're like a walking meal on wheels especially now with the shortage of True Blood and Hep V still out there."

"But you have the cure now."

"It's not as simple as it looks."

"Well, I am sure you all will figure it out, so get out."

"I like this assertive side. It's hot."

"Eric..."

"What, it's a compliment. You do remember what those are?"

"I really just want to go, ok. You're holding me up here."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Don't care."

"You need to at least have a plan. You can't just go running off in the middle of the night."

"Watch me." She started the car.

"Not for nothing your car isn't going to get you very far."

"Don't insult my car. It's just fine."

"No, it's not. It's a ticking time bomb and the last thing you need is to be stranded on the side of the road helpless."

"Well, it's a good thing I am part fairy and can shoot balls of light out of my hands." She shook her head with annoyance.

"Let me at least get you somewhere safe."

"I don't need you trying to save me all the time. I am not your responsibility."

"Actually, you are. Bill had me promise to take care of you."

"Well, Bill is gone now so don't worry. I won't tell him." She huffed.

"We were friends once. Even more than that. Let me help you."

"The last thing I want is your kind of help."

"Hey, I take offense to that."

"We aren't together Eric and never will be."

"You know you keep on throwing all these won't and cants out there. Why don't you for once accept help when it is offered."

"Because I don't want your help Eric, and to be honest I don't even want to see your kind at all."

"My kind? That's a little harsh don't you think."

"Can you just get out, please?"

"I have a villa in Italy. You can stay there and do all the soul-searching you need."

"You have a villa, in Italy?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Why is that so hard to believe? I have homes everywhere." He smirked. You're not the only one who needs to get away every once in a while."

"I'm not going to Italy."

"Why not? It's beautiful. Have you been there?"

"No."

"Then it's settled."

"This is not how this works Eric. You don't just get to make decisions for me."

"I'm offering my home to you."

"Well thanks but no thanks."

"Let me just get you there and then I will leave you be. I mean not to sound harsh but I do have a life outside of you, Sookie."

"And that's exactly why you need to stay here and let me just go wherever I want."

"It has an indoor swimming pool." He smirked.

"No thanks."

"Have you ever tried pasta from the homeland?"

"Have you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Touché, but I hear it's amazing. You can have access to my cars and everything."

"Eric, why are you really doing this?"

"I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything. It's been a crazy few years and what's done is done."

"I have a private plane that can have you there by tomorrow."

"Last time I got on one of your planes someone tried to kill us, remember?"

"Eh. Water under the bridge. No one is out to kill me now."

"Or so you think. I mean who knows? I'm sure you have made plenty of enemies over the last thousand years."

"And yet I haven't been killed yet."

"Not for the lack of trying." She turned the car off. "I just need some normalcy, ok. I don't want to think about vampires, wolves, or witches for that matter."

"I hear ya. It's exhausting." He smirked. "Let me do this for you, Sookie. I will get you there safe and then be on my way."

"I don't know."

"What is there to know? You're taking one hell of a vacation in one of the best cities in the world. You will be so busy having the time of your life that you won't be able to think about anything else."

"You know you really are a piece of work." She rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"I will take that as a compliment."

"Don't." She shook her head.

"Did I mention it's on a vineyard? No one around for miles. So, it's peaceful and quiet."

The idea of not being able to hear the thoughts of others sounded amazing. It was the one thing she couldn't get rid of no matter how far she went. There were always people. "So where is this plane?"

"Just a phone call away."

Being back on his plane was like Deja Vu except they weren't heading to Texas this time. Thankfully Eric spent most of the flight sleeping. It was over a ten-hour flight to get there.

The drive from the airstrip was incredibly gorgeous. Maybe this is what she needed. Time away in a new country to sort out her mind. She hated to admit it but maybe Eric was onto something.

His villa was just as he had promised. It was on acres of land, surrounded by a beautiful vineyard. Seriously, Eric still had the ability to surprise here even still. She was greeted immediately by his staff, and she instantly felt like royalty as they began grabbing her bags.

"I got this. I'm fine. I got this." She grabbed her own things and made her way inside.

"Your room is this way, Miss Stackhouse." One of the older-looking women smiled at her.

"Oh, you can just call me Sookie."

"Well Miss Sookie, we just finished up the last touches on the room." The older woman opened the door and Sookie gasped loudly. It was beautiful and very reminiscent of her own bedroom back home. It had the same pastel colors. "Is it to your liking?"

"Eric, had this done?" She was in shock that he even remembered what her bedroom looked like. He hadn't been in it for years. Her mind began to drift to that time and the fond memories they shared. That of course was before everything went to shit.

"Yes. He wanted you to have all the comforts of home. Let me show you the rest of the place and then I will get lunch ready.

It was a little after two pm when the tour was finally over. Sookie ate a small lunch and promptly passed out. It had been a long day and an even longer year. She honestly felt like she could sleep forever.

Her sleep was restless though and filled with nightmares. Images she wanted to forget. Seeing Bill's face for the last time before he disintegrated in front of her. She awoke with a gasp as she sat up in the dark. She was disoriented as she looked around.

"Bad dreams?" Eric sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, and she turned on the lamp beside the bed.

"Eric, what the hell!" She huffed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Well, that is one way to greet me." He stood and smirked.

"It's creepy just to sit there watching me sleep."

"I was half tempted to climb into the bed like the good ole days."

"There were no good ole days." She yawned. "What time is it?"

"If I remember correctly there were a few months of good ole days."

"Yeah, well that wasn't real, so..."

"You know you keep saying that but it was real to me."

"You literally had lost your memories. You didn't even know who you were."

"And like I told you a million times, it was still me."

"I don't want to argue with you." She knew it was pointless. He was just as stubborn as she was. She got out of bed and stretched.

"I have Maria making dinner and then I am taking you out." He walked to the door.

"I thought we agreed that you would just get me here."

"And I also said I wanted to give you a proper tour. So, get dolled up. Did you bring that blue dress I like?" He smirked.

"First of all, the fact that you even have a blue dress that you like is sufficiently weird."

"Or incredibly romantic. Depends on how you look at it." He grinned. "I'll be downstairs." He left and she sighed. She knew what she was getting herself into by agreeing to his plan. Honestly, at this point, she had no one to blame but herself. At least he would be leaving soon so she could forget the world for a bit.

She caught up on her text messages from Jason and Jessica who was on her honeymoon with Hoyt. She didn't tell them where she had gone. Hell, she didn't need any more gossip about her life. She pulled out her clothes and sighed when she saw the blue sundress that Eric had referred to. It was her favorite as well. She opted for a red sundress instead. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and made her way downstairs.

The dining room was big enough to fit an army. She stepped in and Eric looked up from the newspaper in his hand. She would never admit it out loud but he was insanely gorgeous, always had been. He wore a white button-down shirt and black slacks. He looked like he could be on the cover of a magazine. He placed the paper down and stood up with a huge sexy grin on his face.

"Now this dress may be my new favorite."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "You know I don't dress to impress you." She walked over to the chair he had pulled out for her. It was right next to him at the end of the table. He looked like royalty standing there.

"You impress me every day, Sookie Stackhouse." He waited for her to sit and then he did. "I had Maria make some Involtini alla romana." His Italian accent was on point.

"And that is?"

"Quite delicious from what I hear." He sipped his wine, and she grabbed her glass. "We should do a toast."

"To friends."

"For now." He corrected her and then sipped his wine as she rolled her eyes. Seconds later Maria was coming out with a large plate of food. It looked like some sort of rolled meat and carrots. It smelled wonderful.

"This looks great." She began to dig in and she moaned softly at how tender the beef was. Eric just watched her as she savored each taste. "What?" She looked at him with a mouth full of food.

"Nothing. I am glad you are enjoying it."

"You didn't need to go through all of this trouble for me. I would have been fine with a sandwich."

"I know but sometimes it's nice to enjoy the finer things in life."

"I never pegged you for this kind of lifestyle." She smirked as she ate.

"I think we can both agree there is a lot you don't know about me." His eyes were so seductive. For a moment she got lost in them.

"You know that you still can't glamour me." She ate another mouthful.

"Oddly enough I never wanted to. I think that is what makes you so intriguing because I know that everything you do is because you actually want to not because someone made you."

His words made a lump fill in her throat. She suddenly felt very vulnerable sitting there with him. "Yeah well, who would pass up free food and a villa in Italy." She answered quickly as her heart raced.

"I think it's cute that I still make you nervous."

"I am not nervous around you." She lied. Suddenly she was incredibly nervous being around him. This was honestly the first time since he had gotten his memory back that they had been alone like this. She hated that old memories were coming back. Images of them making love for hours filled her mind. She tried to ignore them. "How is Fangtasia coming along with the renovations?" She tried to distract herself.

"Do you want to take me up on my offer to work there?" He grinned.

"That is probably the last place I would ever want to work plus I may go back to school and get a degree or something."

"College Sookie is something I want to see." She licked his lips seductively.

"Everything doesn't have to be about sex, Eric." She rolled her eyes but then again everything with them was always about sex. The fact that she had already slept with him and knew what his body was capable of under those clothes did all sorts of things to her.

"Sex makes everything better."

"Actually, it doesn't."

"If remember correctly you had no complaints in that department."

"That was a long time ago. I barely remember it."

"Ouch, that hurts."

"Come on Eric it's not like you haven't been sleeping your way through the eastern seaboard."

"I will not be shamed for enjoying myself." He smirked. "But for the record, I still remember every detail." He slowly sipped his drink.

The air around them got thick and she swallowed hard. She finally stood up. "You know I'm actually just going to stay in for the night. I'm still jet lag." She turned but then he was there as she gasped. "Don't do that."

"You're in Italy, Sookie. You will have plenty of time to sleep later. I have something planned."

"Eric has a plan. Surprise, surprise." She rolled her eyes.

"Not like that but I do have somewhere I want to take you. Please don't deny me. I am at your mercy." He smiled softly.

"I don't think that Eric Northman has been at anyone's mercy." She smiled playfully back at him.

"Come out with me Sookie. Let me show you what the nightlife has to offer." He held his hand out to her.

"Fine but I don't want to be out late." She put her hand into his and he clasped it tightly.

"You won't regret this."

"I highly doubt that."