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Eric toyed with his bottle of True Blood, sitting through another terminally boring Sheriff's meeting at Bill's house. They had decided on a new Sheriff to replace Luis, and Bill was now lecturing them on the importance of public relations in a yawn-inducing speech.

He let his mind drift to more pleasant things, like Sookie, so close by that he could practically smell her. Or better yet, he would think of their newest shared dream….

They were laying together, naked, on some soft grass near a pond, the smooth, calm surface of the nearby water mirroring their contended feelings. Her fingers trailed over his chest lazily as she murmured, "Let's just stay here forever."

"I like that idea." He kissed the top of her head, enjoying her warm body snuggled against him. "Keeping you all to myself."

"You're so greedy!"

"Mmmm..I am." He pulled her on top of him, his hands sliding over her delicious curves, tracing the bite marks on her thigh. "All mine. Every smile, every laugh, …"

"I wish it was possible for us to never go back." Her back arched as his hands cupped her breasts, giving a soft whimper of delight.

"Anything's possible between us, as long as you let yourself-"

"Eric?"

His head barely moved as he jerked back into the dismally dull reality of Bill's study. "Yes?"

"Do you agree to that?" Bill was frowning at him, and Eric allowed the conversation he'd virtually ignored to replay in his mind. Some new vampire named Charles had appeared in the area, looking for work, and Bill wanted to know if he would hire him.

"Send him over to the bar tomorrow evening. I need a new bartender. If he does well, he can have the job."

Bill nodded, "Sounds good. " He looked around the room, "Good night, everyone. Eric, will you stay behind for a moment?"

He waited for the others to leave, then shut the door. "I wanted to discuss a private matter with you."

Eric tossed the empty bottle on to the table, moving to lean against Bill's desk. "Would that matter be Sookie?"

"I realize it is no longer my business-"

"No. It is not." Eric's voice turned icy, "Sookie is no longer your concern."

Bill stiffened, "I am your king."

"But not hers. Our bond is not your concern."

"I am still her friend. I don't want to see her hurt."

"I have no intention of hurting Sookie. " Eric's cold gaze narrowed on him, "Regardless, I doubt I could hurt her as badly as you did. "

Bill flinched, obviously not pleased to be reminded of some of his poor choices in the not so distant past. "I know I hurt her. That's why I hate to see tied to a vampire she cannot love."

"Who said I wanted Sookie's love?" he strode towards the study doors, almost missing Bill's reply.

"I should have staked you for her when I had the chance."

Eric stopped, one hand on the doorknob. "What exactly does that mean?"

Bill hesitated for a moment before carefully responding. "Nothing."

Opening the door, Eric turned back to him, his voice almost taunting. "You never did know how to win a battle, Bill." With that, he strode out of the mansion.

...

Sookie yawned, wondering why she was awake at 4:00 in the morning. For once, there had been no yearning dreams, no sex-crazed romps through fields, ponds, snowy mountains, even her kitchen.

There was a strange zing in her blood, and suddenly she knew what had woken her. Eric was laying next to her on the bed, his ankles crossed, arms behind his head.

"What the fuck, Eric!"

"A pleasure to see you, too, Sookie."

"What are you doing here? In my bed?" A place where he looked all too right, she couldn't help but think, remembering the last time he had lain here with her.

He turned towards her, reaching one pale hand out to play with a strand of her blond hair. "Watching you. You're even more beautiful when you're sleeping."

Beautiful? She couldn't help but smile. Eric was usually more likely to offer her sex than to tell her she was beautiful, unless of course he had recently been cursed again. "You need to stop tellin' me things like that, or I'll get-" she paused, realizing what she just said.

"Have I been telling you that a lot recently?" He arched an eyebrow, looking interested.

"I-"

"Sookie," he interrupted her newest denial. "I know I've been in this room before. I look at you here, and I know we've had sex before. You might as well admit that, even if you refuse to tell me anything else."

She sighed quietly, "Alright, yes. We did." There was no point denying something he already knew, as obnoxious as he would probably be about it.

"Really?" He smiled, looking pleased at her revelation. "Here?"

A part of her couldn't help but shake her head, the fairy inside her knowing it would drive him crazy to know but not remember for himself. "Here, the shower, the living room, the woods, you name it."

"The woods? You wild girl, Sookie." He watched her as she sat up, feeling frustrated at the knowledge that he knew her body intimately, but couldn't remember it. "Why is it that you allowed me so close then, but not now?

She looked away, "You were…different."

"Different, how?"

"Sweeter." She looked back at him, "Kinder. More trusting. You'd lost your memory, and you were confused…"

He couldn't help but frown, "So, you were attracted to me because it wasn't me?"

"Yes-no." Why was she discussing this with him? "You were you, you were just….less complicated."

Silence filled the room as he pondered what she told him. Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered absently, his gaze still locked on Sookie's. "Yes?"

"I do hope that you're enjoyin' Miss Stackhouse's charms, "Russell Edgington drawled. "She is, all after all, so delectable that I can't wait to try that sweet blood again for myself."