Set in a mix of the books and the TV series. Sookie and Bill come back from Dallas quarreling and break up. But Lafayette is still alive and had gone through his ordeal in Eric's dungeon.

Of course I don't own these characters, I am just very thankful that Charlaine Harris created them.

Rated M for sexual content in later chapters. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1.

Note: The "sug" that Arlene says is short for sugar. This was the only way I could think to spell it.

"My God Sookie, you look like hell!" Arlene observed as Sookie clocked in for her half shift.

"Thanks Arlene, you always know the right thing to say." Sookie immediately regretted her sarcasm because she knew what Arlene had said was true.

"Sorry sug, What's wrong? Are you still pining over that vampire?"

Sookie's head shot up in shock, how could Arlene know about Eric? Then she realized she was referring to Bill. "No, just a rough night. My dreams kept waking me up." That wasn't a lie, awake or asleep her thoughts kept bringing her back to Eric's kiss and her dreams went further. She must have awoken ten times from erotic dreams.

"Oh sug!" Arlene hugged her sympathetically. "After all you've been through it's no surprise you're having nightmares." she held her by the shoulders and got her 'mom' face on. "Now tonight you drink a nice cup of warm milk before you go to bed." Then she let go and hustled off to her tables, red hair bouncing on her back.

Sookie chuckled drily to herself. It would take more than warm milk to banish her dreams. She tied on her apron and headed out to the tables herself. Stopping just short of the dining area. There in her section, were Bill and the woman she had seen him with yesterday.

Steeling herself and pasting her exaggerated smile on she walked up to their table, order pad in hand. "What can I get you this evening?" She asked briskly but politely, when she got no immediate answer she looked up from her order pad. Bill was glaring at her and she was thankful that vamps couldn't kill with a stare. She quickly turned her attention to his companion, she looked to be in her early thirties well-dressed and immaculately groomed, her hair was the darkest shade that could still be called blonde but had some professionally done highlights. "What would you like miss?" she asked, her voice sounding taut to her own ears.

The woman was looking at Bill with a mixture of curiosity and fear. She tore her gaze away to look at Sookie, "Just a white wine please."

Sookie turned expectantly to Bill but he was still scowling at her. "I'll just get you your usual." She snapped and turned on her heel and went to wait on the table at the other side of her section.

When she did deliver their drinks, she only bothered to acknowledge the woman with a polite nod and did not even glance at Bill. Since she had years of practice blocking out people's thoughts she decided to translate that skill into blocking out Bill's presence. Still, she could not understand what had made him so mad. If anything, she should be mad at him for not giving her the check she was due. So glare all you want Bill Compton, I don't owe you anything.

Almost an hour later she was in the storeroom when she heard the door close. Reaching out with her mind to identify who was there she found the empty spot that only means vampire. She turned, crossing her arms and ready for a confrontation. What she wasn't ready for was Bill grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her against the wall.

"Who is he?" he growled, his fangs were extended but there was no passion in his eyes only fury.

"Who?" Sookie was scared and confused but determined not to show the former.

"Your lover! You have had my blood Sookie. I can feel your passion every night and I demand to know who it is!"

"Well that is none of your business anymore!" She shot back. "You get to move on and I don't?"

"You are mine!"

"Not anymore. I am mine!"

"It is Eric, is it not? I know you went to Shreveport last night. I can smell him on you." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Sookie had had enough and she yelled back at him. "Yes, I went to Shreveport last night, although you only have yourself to blame. What did you think you were doing not giving me my check? Did you think I would come begging for it? I went to Eric to get my money and he told me you had it all along. How dare you when you knew I needed it? Unlike some people, I haven't spent the last 150 years glamoring folks out of their life savings. I earned that money and you had no right to keep it from me." The shock was visible on his face and his fangs retracted as his anger was replaced by bewilderment and, she hoped, shame. His hands loosened and she was able to push them off her shoulders so she was free.

But she wasn't done with him yet. "I am telling you what I told him: I am done with vampires. So stay out of my bar and stay out of my business!" She went to move past him but he grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

"Do not believe that Eric will let you out of your commitment. You gave him a very foolish open-ended promise."

"Eric and I renegotiated our agreement and I find it satisfactory. What I do not find satisfactory is being manhandled by you!" She shook her arm to free herself again and Bill abruptly let her go as if he had been burned, then stared at his hand as if it had acted on its own. "In fact," she continued with a toss of her head, "Eric was much more civil with me than you are showing yourself to be. I think you better learn to block out my emotions because they have nothing to do with you anymore."

She strode to the door and pulled it open. "Goodbye Bill." she tossed over her shoulder and stomped out. She almost ran into his date who was obviously looking for him. "You can have him." Sookie told her, gesturing in the direction of the storeroom.

Sookie stopped just short of the main room and composed herself, taking a few deep breaths and pasting on her fake smile before returning to her tables. The rest of the night dragged on, but at least Bill and his date must have left through the back because she did not see them again.

By the time the bar closed she was well past exhausted. The lack of sleep, emotional wear and tear and the bruising in her arm and shoulders had drained all energy from her. Looking on the bright side, maybe I'll be too exhausted to dream, she hoped.

She drove home on autopilot. Once she got inside she headed straight into the shower, the warmth and rhythm soothing her frayed nerves and tired body. She felt a little more alive when she got out so she put on her robe and headed down to find something to eat. Looking around her kitchen she realized she really needed to go shopping, her refrigerator was almost bare and most of what was in there was past the expiration date. She started to compose a shopping list in her head as she continued to rummage about. Out of choices, she fried herself the last two eggs and glanced through her mail as she ate.

She was done with her light supper before she realized she hadn't seen the mail, she had been comparing her last encounters with Bill and Eric - Bill had definitely not come out on top.

Making up her mind to do something she had been considering all day she picked up the phone and dialed.

"Fangtasia, the bar with bite." came Pam's bored voice.

"Hi Pam, Sookie, is Eric in?"

"Yes, but I don't think I should let you talk to him." Came the unexpected response.

"Why not?"

"He's been in the foulest mood since you left last night. He scared away half the customers earlier and it was only when I threatened to leave to go back to Minnesota that he shut himself up in his office. What did you do to him?" She ended accusingly.

"Nothing!" Sookie was confused and concerned, now she had two vampires mad at her, that couldn't be good.

"Spill it." Pam persisted and since she was gatekeeper to Eric, Sookie gave in.

"We kissed, once, that's all I swear."

"You cause the strangest reactions in vampires," Pam began, Sookie was about to protest when Pam added, "but since you caused this mood, maybe you can fix it. Hold on a moment."

Sookie waited nervously on hold. She had not expected Eric to be in a foul mood.

"I said I did not want to be disturbed." His voice was low and threatening.

"I'm sorry Eric, I made Pam put me through." Sure enough he sounded ready to start rending people limb from limb.

"Sookie," his voice changed instantly from anger to something else, was it regret? "I want to apologize for last night."

"Apologize, what for?"

"For my loss of control. I did not wish you to see me like that."

"Eric, I was just calling to thank you."

Thank me?"

"Yes, you didn't take advantage of my own lack of control, and you easily could have. I could tell it was a struggle for you, but you were every bit a gentleman."

Eric's hearty laugh came over the phone.

"Eric, I'm serious. I'm very grateful."

"Sookie, I think it is the first time in a thousand years that anyone has ever called me a gentleman."

"Then you must not have shown anyone that side of you before."

"You do realize that if we hadn't stopped the kiss then, if you hadn't left when I told you to, I would have taken you there on my desk and I would not have been gentle?" The mental image that painted caused the heat to build in her and she tried to push it away.

"That's the point. I wasn't able to end the kiss and at the time I would have happily been taken..."

"Now you are making me regret my restraint." he interjected.

"...but I would hate us both today. You did what I couldn't. That's what makes you a gentleman."

"Well, then, I thank you." He paused for a moment. "What happened earlier tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I sensed great fear in you and I almost flew to your aid, but it quickly changed to such anger that I almost pitied its target."

"Oh." she said flatly then sighed, "It was Bill, he was angry about something and got a little out of control."

"Did he hurt you?" There was anger and threat in his quiet voice.

"No." she lied, as angry as she was at Bill she still feared what Eric might do.

"What was he angry about?"

"Nothing, really." That was not a conversation she wanted to repeat to Eric.

"Sookie, who is your lover?" She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Could Eric read her mind?

Shaking that disturbing thought away she answered sharply. "Eric, that is none of your business."

"After you left me last night you went straight to him and spent a night of passion. I think as a reward for my gentlemanly behavior you could tell me who it is."

"Listen carefully, I told Bill and I am telling you, who I sleep with is my concern. And an etiquette tip from someone who has been reading minds her whole life. It's rude to listen in and even more rude to bring up what was overheard. Goodnight Eric!" She slammed the phone down.

Argh! They both were so infuriating. Couldn't she have any privacy? She felt a newfound sympathy for all her friends whose thoughts she had ever invaded, intentionally or not. Along with that came guilt and she promised herself that she would work harder on her blocking.