I know it has been FAR TOO long since I have posted but I've been way busy with college and I was having issues with ending Innocent Blood. I do have to say after weeks of debating and rewriting, I am happy with the ending. Don't worry this isn't the last time you will read from me, I am currently starting another short story.(I am pretty confident that there will be a sequel to Innocent Blood, but not just yet.) =] I am open to suggestion because I am still playing with the plot for both the stories. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this last instalment of Innocent Blood! Thanks for the support and the feed back, I'd love to hear from you.

Kaeson had fallen asleep tangled with Eric, but she awoke with a start. She laid in bed trying to figure out what had awoken her, when she heard it again, a rustling sound. She looked over to where Eric had been laying hours before, but found nothing. 'Damn it, it must be close to dawn.' She thought as she listened more intently and turned to look at the clock. It read 3:00, 'Eric should still be up.' She thought as a worried looked crossed her face; she got up and grabbed Eric's over shirt that had been discarded earlier in their escapade.

She put on Eric's shirt on and wrapped the extra around her as she walked out onto the porch. 'I'm glad he's so freaking tall, 'cause if he wasn't I'd be showing the whole parish my panties.' She felt Eric through their bond before she saw him; she could not place the emotion Eric was emitting because there were so many of them. He was somewhere on the back porch. She walked to the back of the house and slipped out.

"Eric?" Kaeson whispered when she was on the porch.

Eric turned, walked to her and then looked down at her.
"I do have to say, you look ravishing." He said as he messed with her mused hair.

"What's going on? I woke up because I heard a noise."

"It was nothing really, although I do want you to stay with me tonight." He said messing with his shirt that Kaeson was wearing.

Kaeson looked at him questioningly, but decided to not challenge him because after all Eric always got his way.

"I'll go in and pack." She said defeated.

"No time." Eric said as he picked her up.

"Eric!" Kaeson said as he began using his vampire speed to get to Shreveport.

He smiled as he carried her through the double doors of Fangtasia. She tried to give him an upset look especially since the speed had messed up her hair even more. When she mentioned it to Eric he started laughing.

"Eric, what's so- Oh, it's her." Pam said looking over Kaeson.

"Pam, be nice. She hasn't done anything wrong to you." Eric said as he gently set Kaeson down.

Pam raised an eyebrow as she caught a glimpse of Kaeson's body when Eric's shirt opened up.

"I suppose she will need clothes…" Pam said thoughtfully, "Anything particular you want her in, Eric?"

Eric flashed Kaeson a wicked and sexy smile as he replied, "Actually I do."

Kaeson rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest as Eric followed Pam to the back. She then walked behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of water and then went and sat on one of the couches that were placed throughout the bar. She had just gotten comfortable when Eric came back from the back of the bar with clothes folded in his arms, "Come on, Kae. It's bed time." He said smiling and holding out a hand to her. She slipped her hand into Eric's hand and followed him into the back of the bar, down a set of stairs to a door. Eric opened the doors which lead straight down. He motioned for Kaeson to go first so she went descended down the ladder into the dark cubby.

She almost jumped out of her skin when the lights automatically click on. Eric chuckled from behind her. Kaeson just threw a stern look over her shoulder at him and looked around the underground room. It was not that big, but it was big enough to be decorated tastefully. There was a bed, a couple tables and chairs. The colors were rich browns with accents of silver and bronze. Kaeson sat on the edge of the king sized bed admired the striped comforter and matching pillow cases.

"I probably shouldn't have brought you down here with me." Eric said smiling as he sat the clothes he had on one of the side tables.

"Why is that?" Kaeson asked as she pulled back the comforter and slipped under the covers.

"I may not get any sleep." He replied smiling and leaning over her.

She leaned up and kissed him, "No, you need your rest."

Eric gave her a sad look as he laid down next to her and laid his head in her lap. Kaeson laughed as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I need you to be strong in case something happens; I think you know that too." She said as she looked down at him.

Eric looked up at her with his brilliant blue eyes, "Nothing is going to happen to Kae, you are mine. I will protect you at all costs, even if that cost my own life and I have to face the True Death."

Kaeson stopped messing with his hair and looked down at him. "I will have no such talk of you meeting the True Death, because of me. I won't allow you to."

"Kae-"

"No, Eric. You are not going to die for a human. I don't care how much you love me. You're a Viking vampire for gosh sakes! You're ruthless, cruel, demanding, possessive, and not to mention completely attractive."

Eric sat up and looked at Kaeson with a bit of shock. "Is that what you really think of me?" He asked at he looked sideways at Kaeson.

Kaeson smiled and leaned over and kissed his shoulder. "Yes, I do think that."

"Thanks." Eric replied with a weak smile.

"Eric, you know what I said was true. There is a different side to you though." She said as she scooted closer to him.

Eric raised an eyebrow in response. Kaeson just laughed as she crawled into Eric's lap and snuggled against him.

"You can be sweet, adorable, passionate and gentle when you want to be. You're still unbelievable sexy though." She said smiling as she said looking up at him.

Eric smiled and laughed. Kaeson loved the sound of him laughing, how it echoed in his chest, the sound of it floating through the air and how happy it made her feel.

"I do have a tendency to be too nice to you." Eric said amused.

Kaeson just laughed softly and gave him a quick kiss.

"Bed time." Kaeson said as she slid off of Eric's lap and stretched out on the bed.

Eric sighed as laid down and pulled Kaeson towards him; she abided and let him snuggle with her. Eric wrapped his arms around Kaeson holding her firmly against him and whispered in her ear, "Kaeson, I think I may love you." She smiling and laid her hand over his and whispered, "I think I love you too, Eric."