Story Recap:

Eric has been relocated to Bon Temps as part of the witness protection program. At this point, he has been in Bon Temps for six weeks give or take. His house is next to Sookie's. After almost running him over the first night he was there, Sookie and Eric have become friends. She's played tour guide and running partner; she's cheered him up and cheered him on when he's needed it. He's come to value their friendship, and didn't want to make a mess of it, especially considering he couldn't tell her who he truly was. Last chapter, after running, the pair ended up in a water fight; which led to many other wonderful things…

Chapter 8 –

A week. Seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. That's how long it's been since the water fight that changed it all. And I've managed not to screw it up yet. It's definitely a new record for me. The old me that is. The new me has nothing to compare it to and I find I kind of like it. I remembered lying with Sookie afterwards and I remembered the guilty feeling that kept creeping up in my gut. Somehow I was able to push it down and not let it ruin the moment.

I don't know how I did it that day, but I managed to get myself out of bed and showered in time to pick up Jason and Hoyt. I ordered my exercise equipment and made it to the baseball game. It was a far cry from watching the Yankees, but it was good to catch the game. The exercise equipment I bought was due to arrive today. The company provided a window between 10 – 2. I was looking forward to getting it because I thought that it would help relieve some of the tedium I had been feeling.

During the week, I saw Sookie a few times after work. We had dinner one night, went to Merlotte's for drinks another. We went running one morning. I have to say I was a little disappointed when there wasn't a repeat performance of our after-running activities from the last time we had gone together; but she did have to go to work. I played golf twice because that was all the weather would permit.

I needed something to fill up my days. I was increasingly frustrated. I had updates during the week from Dawson, or another one of the Marshalls on Octavia's condition as well as the status of the case. I was told there were some promising leads, but I can't say that I believe them. When they told me there were promising leads at the onset of my exile, I got really excited and hopeful. Now I know it's probably nothing more than a line they give all of the people in the program.

I couldn't use my skills here. I was told under no circumstances could I start providing financial advice or get involved in wealth management. I really was at my wit's end. So one rainy afternoon, I decided to actually start to write. Looking at the blank page was a little intimidating, if I was being truthful. I can list on one hand the things that have intimidated me in the past. Three of those things would have to do with the situation that got me where I am today.

Regardless, I started thinking about what it felt like to be taken away from all you know. Stripped of your identity and transplanted into a new existence. And I wrote about that. I don't know if it was any good, but I wrote. Who knows, perhaps some day when I go back to my regular life, I might be able to publish the story. But that would be getting ahead of myself.

Sookie had been right. I had been uptight and tense since the day I arrived here. I think it's understandable. I had a hard time just relaxing. But writing about my experiences was helping. It felt as if the mere act of putting pen to paper, or more accurately fingers to keyboard helped ease my tension. As if with every key I pressed, a little bit of anxiety left my body.

I wanted to share my writing with Sookie. She encouraged me to start and I knew she would be excited for me. But I couldn't share my writings with her. I couldn't share it with anyone for now.

I was taken from my thoughts by the ringing of my phone.

It was the delivery men and they were lost. I felt pretty lost here myself at times. I couldn't blame them. And since I wasn't as familiar with the roads around here as I probably should be, I wasn't really much help. I got the driver's number and told him I would call him back.

I decided to walk next door and see if Sookie was awake. She would be able to tell the driver how to get here.

I walked up to her house and heard her singing to the radio. I knocked on the door, but she didn't answer. After trying again and still not getting an answer I decided to walk on in. I found her on her hands and knees on the floor of her kitchen. She was wearing short shorts that looked to be cut up sweatpants and an old Bon Temps Football T-shirt that sneaked up just a bit as she stretched to scrub the floor.

"Am I interrupting anything, Fergie?" Sookie jumped and immediately stopped singing the Black Eyed Peas song she had been butchering when I walked in.

"You scared the hell out of me, Eric!" She said as she threw the soapy sponge at me. It hit me square in the chest. I'm a tall guy, so I'm an easy target. Sookie stood up and started peeling the yellow gloves from her hands. They seemed out of place to me, because the only people I had only seen them on in New York were the cleaning services. I'd never seen them on a girl I had taken out, or anyone I really knew. Even Octavia, who is quite precise about the way she liked things to be cleaned never put them on in my presence.

"So did you just stop by to make tracks on my kitchen floor? Or is there another reason for your visit?" She raised her brow and put her hands on her hips as she smirked at me. She paused to blow some hair from her face. I stepped close to tuck it behind her ear and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"No. Not to make tracks, although you did look tempting as you were down there scrubbing. Perhaps I should make more." She pushed playfully at my chest. "I came because the delivery men are lost and I'm not much help."

"Eric, Eric, Eric. How long have you been here? I thought I taught you better than that."

I hung my head in mock shame.

"I got the driver's number. Would you call him and help him? I know how to get to places I need to go, but I have no idea where he's at now."

She rolled her eyes.

"Likely story. Give me the phone. I'll call them, you big softy."

I handed Sookie my cell phone and then made my way to her refrigerator for a bottle of water. Her door was always filled with them. I listened to her figure out how to get the delivery men from where they were to here. She spent a few minutes giving them directions and I was thankful she was home. I never would have been able to do it. They should outfit those trucks with GPS. I'm a little surprised they didn't have it. Sookie tossed my phone back to me when she finished with the directions.

"They should be here in about 20 minutes. God knows how they got to where they were. They never would have found you."

"Thanks Sook. I appreciate it. I'll leave you to it I guess."

"Hey, are you planning on coming tomorrow?"

"Coming where?"

"The softball game. Remember?"

I was trying to remember. I must have been taking too long to answer her because she continued.

"We were in Merlotte's for dinner…"

"Oh right, the charity game." Turns out the teachers from Bon Temps Elementary & High School were going to play the Bon Temps Fire & Police departments on Sunday. The game was the idea of a family whose son was in the military and currently serving in Iraq. They wanted to raise money to buy needed supplies and send them over to all of the men and women in their son's unit. It was amazing how this small town was banding together in support. "Yes. I'll be there. Wouldn't want to miss you in your uniform, now would I?"

"Admit it Eric, you're saying you want to see me in my uniform, but you're really just going for Jason, aren't you?"

"Damn. I thought I was convincing. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"That's sweet. Thanks though, Jason is coming to get me. He wants me to run through drills before the game. He takes this stuff way too seriously."

Jason seems to take any competition very seriously. He didn't like losing when I played golf with him and Hoyt last week.

"Well, I'll be there to cheer you both on. What are you doing later?"

"Coming to your house for dinner."

"Oh really?" Not that I minded at all. I was hoping I'd see her later. It's strange how I've never looked forward to seeing someone as much as I do her.

"Yup. I'm coming to your house and I'm bringin' a bottle of wine and some dessert. I was hoping that you'd grill something."

"I could do that. What are you bringing for dessert?"

"It'll be a surprise."

I liked the sound of that. She probably had something perfectly innocent in mind and she was an excellent baker; but I had hope that instead I'd be having something different and very special for dessert tonight.

"Alright. I'm going to head home to meet the delivery men. Come over whenever you want." I kissed her and made my way back to my house.

I made my way directly into the kitchen to see what I had to throw on the grill. I bought some salmon the other day, thinking I'd poach it like Octavia had done one time she came over to cook for me. I suppose that would work well on the grill.

My culinary skills were basically limited. Living in the city, I spent much of my time going out for my meals, or ordering them in. Having to prepare food for myself wasn't something I did frequently. So living here, I have had to learn quickly. I think I've used the grill to cook most of my meals. Well, the meals that Sookie hasn't made for me that is.

The delivery men arrived and brought all of the exercise equipment up to the room I was turning into my home gym. They took their time setting everything up, commenting about what they were doing as they were doing it, so I would know should I ever need to break it down again. I don't think that I would. When I went back to NY, I had my own equipment there. That is, if I ever could go back to NY.

After it was all set up, I sat down at one of the benches and let out a big breath I didn't realize I had held in. It felt as if I'd been holding it since that morning in NY. I started working on the machines immediately and then moved my way over to the free weights that I purchased as well. After about an hour of exercising I was sweaty and I felt tired, but great. I jumped in the shower, and got myself clean quickly, because I wasn't sure what time Sookie would come over.

After putting on some jeans and a plain t-shirt, I went downstairs and started pulling stuff together to make dinner. I put on a pot of water to make rice. I figured it would go well with the salmon. I also started pulling out vegetables to make a salad. I was just starting to peel some carrots when Sookie knocked once on the door before coming inside.

"Hey, I'm here."

"I'm in the kitchen."

"What's for dinner?" She asked on her way back to the kitchen. I could hear her getting closer.

"What's for dessert?"

"I asked first."

"So you did. Grilled salmon, rice & salad. Now, on to dessert."

"Well, I brought fresh berries and crème. Oh, and a bottle of wine too. I'm glad I brought white."

Sookie moved to put the dessert in the fridge and open the bottle of wine, while I worked on making our salad. She found the wine glasses and poured us both a glass; handing me one before moving to the other side of the counter to watch.

"So I'm guessing you gave the new equipment a test drive."

"I did."

"And?"

"You know, I felt fantastic. I'm glad it's finally here. I missed my regular work outs."

"You know Jason said you could always stop by and use the gym."

"Yeah, it's not the same."

"I hear you."

We chatted a bit more before gathering the salad, plates and everything else we'd need and headed outside to grill and have our dinner.

It still amazed me how Sookie held my interest. Conversation was always easy with her. Conversation flowed throughout dinner. We were enjoying our full stomachs for a little while and were sipping on wine when I finally decided to tell her,

"I wrote something today."

"Eric! That's fantastic. I'm glad you felt inspired enough to start. Don't stop. Try to set some time aside to do it every day."

"It felt good to do it."

"It usually does."

"You're not going to ask what I wrote?"

"Nope. When you're ready to share, I know you will. I don't want to pressure you."

She never did. Somehow, Sookie seemed to know exactly what I needed, without me realizing that I did. And she never pressured me. I hated to regularly compare her to women I dated in the city, if you could call it that; but it was hard not to. Those women constantly pressured me for more. More time, more commitment, more affection. Not Sookie. She never asked once for it, but I had already given her more time, more commitment and more affection than anyone before her. The more I was around her, the more I was sure it wasn't just as a result of my circumstances.

She brought our dinner plates inside and went to get dessert. She came out with her arms full. She had a covered container of berries a container of fresh crème some bowls and forks. I was looking forward to dessert. Hoping there would be more on the menu besides the berries and crème before me.

Sookie made bowls of berries and crème for both of us. We sat talking as we enjoyed our dessert. Sookie had some crème on the corner of her mouth and I found myself reaching over to remove it for her, with my tongue.

My thoughtful gesture of removing the crème turned into something more passionate and before too long we were getting up from the table as it wasn't the most comfortable place for what we were doing. I picked Sookie up and she wrapped her legs around me, not willing to break from kissing each other. We made our way upstairs and into my room, where I enjoyed my second course of dessert for the evening.

A/N – Hi there! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted a chapter of this story. I never intended it to take so long. I was blocked. Majorly. I owe a HUGE thank you to ddesign. Honestly, if it weren't for my chats with her and all of our going back and forth, I'd still be blocked. You are a good friend.

A big thank you to nmarie3, for being a great cheerleader, for prereading and for pointing out a few things I forgot to put in. Last, but certainly not least, a big thank you to Northwoman…for reading all seven chapters quickly when I asked her to beta this chapter for me; agreeing to beta this and for our back & forth.

A big thanks to any readers who have stuck with the story. And, to anyone who has just read it for the first time. I've already started on chapter 9 and hope to have it ready for review by the beginning of next week.