Sookie sat through dinner with Eric feeling nervous and uneasy she knew Alcide wouldn't come back to the restaurant and make a scene he like to embarrass her in front of others but the real damage was done behind closed doors where others couldn't see the monster he really was. She couldn't help but think back to high school when she had been waiting for him after class and Eric walked up to her asking what she thought about that days lesson in American history, Sookie didn't think her just talking to someone could ever be such a big deal but she learned not think quickly in their relationship she was expected to keep her head down and her mouth shut that was how he liked it.
That day Eric laughed at a joke she had made about the substitute teacher when Alcide came walking down the hall Sookie saw him as he stopped midway to them and stared he didn't look angry just curious so she waved her hand toward him calling him over, he finally came to stand next to her wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer for a kiss. Sookie kissed his lips briefly pulling back not wanting to be rude to Eric who had been talking to her at that moment , she never saw his expression change but somehow when she looked at him he seemed very different "how's it going man" Eric said nodding his head in Alcide's direction but he didn't reply.
His eyes stayed locked on Sookie as he pulled her closer again forcing his mouth on hers he wanted all of her attention and the fact was she was interested in Eric at that time and he knew it, Sookie pecked his lips again and went back to her conversation once again and this time he let her know he was angry. "YOU WHORE" he screamed at the top of his lungs drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway "YOU'RE A NASTY SLUT "he said before turning and walking away like she had just done something terrible to him, there she stood in the hallway all eyes on her and she had no clue what she had done.
Sookie excused herself from the talk her and Eric had been having before Alcide's outburst and followed after him, after searching down several halls and finally found him in the gym shooting hoops alone, "Alcide what the hell was that "she said walking toward him but he didn't answer "why would you call me those things" he didn't answer leaving her feeling angry she reached out putting her hand on his shoulder. There was no way for her to know what was coming he hadn't shown her that side of him yet so when he turned around swinging his fist through the air she wasn't prepared, his fist clenched tight landed hard in the middle of her chest knocking the air out of her body before she fell to the floor .
Immediately after he looked at her lying on the floor holding her hands to her chest and gasping for air he started to apologize "Sookie I'm so sorry I never, I ah I thought you were someone else, you scared me" he fell to his knees beside her and started crying as he begged for forgiveness. A smart strong woman would have walked away then but Sookie believed him when he said he was sorry and spent the next couple of years paying for it, Eric cleared his throat "Sookie hello are you going to tell me what that was about?"
Eric watched her face as she sat reminiscing about her past and when he had to repeat his question for the third time he realized things with her and Alcide were way more complicated than Tara had let on, "Sookie why is he back in town" she was still trying to figure out how to answer his first question but she had to say something "he's here for me". Eric didn't look surprised he figured she was the reason Alcide had come back to Bon Temps "Sookie why did you leave him" he asked hoping she would finally confide in him, " Eric I have made so many mistakes in my life but the one I can't seem to get away from is him" Sookie continued telling him about her life with her husband and with every word she worried that he would get up from the table and walk away choosing not to deal with all the drama that was ahead of her.
"And now he had shown up here to do god knows what to me" she finished amazed that he hadn't left yet, she sat staring at Eric waiting for him to say something but his silence became too much for her so she jumped from the table grabbing her bag and running out of the restaurant. "I knew it I knew he couldn't handle it I was so stupid to think he would want me once he knew" she said to herself as she stomped down the empty street crying, she was sure she would never see Eric Northman again that he would be running for the hills by now and when she finally heard the footsteps through her tears it was too late.
His hand wrapped around her waist lifting her into the air he was panting in her ear like he had been running a marathon and no matter how much she fought against his grip she couldn't break free, "Sookie stop" she continued to kick and scream but the street was empty and lined with businesses that had closed for the day. "Sookie stop" he screamed turning her to face him but she kept screaming for help "Sookie please stop" he said grabbing both sides of her head forcing her to look at him "it's me Eric Sookie it's me", she opened her eyes and saw the tears running down his face "I'm sorry" she said burying her face in his chest and sobbing she was so sure Alcide had been the one that grabbed her and she was fighting for her life scratching and clawing at his face and swinging her arms at him landing punches anywhere she could.
It wasn't until she looked up at Eric's face and realized it was him that she saw the damage she had done "I'm so sorry Eric I'm so sorry she kept muttering into his chest as he held her close, "why did you run off like that?" he asked stroking her head "you could have been hurt" Sookie pried herself from his chest looking up into his eyes as she spoke. "You just sat there I didn't want you to think I blame you for not wanting to deal with all of this so I left" Eric looked at her and smiled "how do you know what I want to deal with it was a lot to process yes but I was only trying to think of what to do and you ran from me", Sookie immediately felt stupid for how she reacted and she felt even worse as she watched the mark under his eyes swell and bruise.
Sookie couldn't help but apologize over and over for her reaction and Eric assured her he was fine teasing that he would feel much better if she kissed the small cut on his lip as the two of them walked back to the restaurant, she could tell he was trying to keep things light around her and she loved him for it but she also knew that she couldn't let him fight this battle for her. If Alcide was coming after her it would have to be her who stood up to him and no one else or he would just keep coming for her, by the time they were in the truck and half way to her house Sookie was staring to worry that telling Eric about everything might not have been the best idea it was clear that he intended to do whatever it took to protect her and she was petrified that he would get hurt.
When they pulled up the house Sookie could tell something was wrong the house was dark and even though she and Eric left earlier in the day when it was light she never turned off all the lights in the house, "Eric something's not right" she whispered as the climbed out of his truck and walked up the back porch "it's too dark" he looked at her unsure what she meant by her comment until he reached for the door handle and noticed it was unlocked. "Sookie go back to the car" he whispered pulling out his cell phone and dialing sheriff Andy's personal number, "Eric who are you calling" Sookie said standing right behind him "go to the car" he pointed at the truck wishing she would go but she shook her head no "I'm going in with you" and she pushed the kitchen door open.
Eric grabbed her hand pulling her back onto the porch "wait for the sheriff" Sookie smiled at him before turning and walking into her house flicking on the light, "damn it Sookie" Eric said stepping inside to see her standing in the middle of her kitchen with tear running down her face. She knew who was responsible for the damage as she walked through her house looking at each piece of broken furniture the kitchen table was in pieces and the mattresses were pulled from the beds and sliced to shreds, Alcide had taken his time busting up any and everything that he knew would have sentimental value to her the oak vanity that belonged to her gran was chopped in half and every glass figure busted into pieces he couldn't get to her so he turned to what was dear to her.
"Sookie don't touch anything" he said following her through the mess that was her child hood home he took her hand and led her outside into yard where he held her while they waited for the sheriff to get there, once Andy arrived he walked through the house taking inventory of what was destroyed before he came to ask her questions "how do you know Alcide was the one who did this". Sookie was shocked by the tone in his voice when he asked her the question she knew she hadn't told Tara everything but she had told her that Alcide was violent and possessive and she couldn't believe Tara hadn't told Andy anything about it, "Andy I just know he followed us to a restaurant tonight and he was pretty pissed when he left who else would have done it?"
Andy scribbled a few notes on his pad before he turned and walked back into the house with his camera in hand, he seemed to be taking her seriously but there was something underneath that told her otherwise when he walked back out of the house "well you can clean up I took a few pictures and your statement all I can do is look into it" Sookie felt helpless all over again as she watched the sheriff walk away. She knew he could care less about proving Alcide was the one who trashed her house Andy had never really liked her not even in high school Sookie hung with the popular crowed and he was in band and went to computer camp, she never could figure out what Tara saw in him and she slipped and asked her after drinking way to much at their wedding and even though Tara had forgiven and forgotten the comment Andy always treated her different for it.
"Do you want to stay at my house tonight" Eric asked wrapping his arms around her and laying his chin on her shoulder, it didn't take much for Sookie to agree to go with him after all she had no bed to sleep on and she couldn't stand the thought of cleaning up the mess tonight. Eric helped her find a few things to throw in a bag and she locked up reaching to set the Alarm before she went and she stared laughing and crying at the same time "I will never be safe" she brushed her hand across the broken alarm, they climbed into Eric's truck and headed for his house the truck pulled out onto the old dirt road and once the coast was clear he stepped out from the trees and into the house.