First of all, my apologies, the last chapter wasn't the greatest. My only excuse is that I was literally falling asleep at my laptop.

Secondly, thanks to all the reviewers! Your comments are really keeping me going, and I appreciate that you take the time to let me know what you think. Thank you!

Eric stood in the bedroom and watched Sookie sleep, the moonlight making her skin pale, her full lips softly parted. She really was beautiful. Beautiful and courageous and sarcastic and sweet and honest. Rare qualities in a human, and ones that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He leaned over, brushing back a few strands of blonde hair and stroking her face softly. Mine, he thought possessively.

He could tell she was dreaming something peaceful, a calm contentment that filled him with peace as well, despite all the current little troubles they were both facing. He couldn't regret the blood bond that he didn't remember making with her. If anything, he was pleased by it. How could he not be? She constantly amused him, intrigued him, intoxicated him. Her dreams left him feeling dizzy with pleasure, her emotions made him feel more strongly than he had in centuries. He felt better knowing that if she were in trouble, he would feel it instantly.

"Eric," she whispered, sighing his name in her sleep and turning to curl on her other side.

He smiled, pleased that even in her sleep she was thinking of him. He badly wanted to join her in bed, to have that warm body snuggle against his cool one, her soft hands touching and caressing him. Maybe in a bit. First, he had to deal with a constant annoyance.

...

"I don't see why we're waitin'. He could be amassin' an army by now." Bill looked disgusted, striding around Sookie's living room.

"He's not." Eric lazily responded. "The werewolves no longer give him their allegiance. Too many of them were hunted and killed by our kind after he disappeared."

"Then why aren't we doin' anything?"

Odin save him from younger vampires. They never had any patience, even if they could manage to manipulate themselves into power. "Because we let him make the first move." Eric leaned forward, "He's centuries old, Bill. He believes if he waits long enough, we'll make the first move, make a mistake. He's had enough time to stop thinking with his emotions and start thinking logically."

Pam crossed her arms, backing Eric up, as always. "He's older than even Eric, Bill. And that fucker was hard to kill when he was mad with grief. We can't just stroll around calling his name like a lost puppy."

"And in the meantime, Sookie's in danger."

Eric's blue eyes narrowed. "Sookie's fine. And she's not your problem anymore."

Bill spun around, staring out the window as Charles Twining strolled around the front yard, keeping an eye out for other vampires. He was tired of Eric, tired of his bond with Sookie, tired of the older vampire's obvious lack of respect. Most of all, he was tired of the fact that the Authority was backing him up, that his powerful friends ensured he couldn't be touched by Bill. He should have staked him the one time he'd been given the go-ahead by Nan, even though he had returned back from the attempt that night to a voice mail full of demands that he keep Eric Northman alive, from numerous powerful vampires. "I hope you know what you're doin.'"

"I do." Eric smiled coldly, "Come on, Bill. How many times have you told me I'm a master manipulator? Trust me on this. Russell will try to sneak Sookie out from under us, to use her as bait for me. Therefore, she has to be protected so that he will have to find another way."

"Why you? As far as he knows you have no attachment to her."

Eric thought back to the day he'd lain out in the sun with Russell, ready to die to destroy the vampire that had killed his family, all those centuries ago. How he'd given himself away in even a small way by stroking Sookie's hair, hesitant to take her blood against her will before Russell had struck at her wrist. How Russell had sneered at her to use her powers, how he would come back and kill her "Precious Viking" if she didn't save him. Though he'd been in horrendous pain, Eric had looked up at her, surprised that she didn't even try to deny that she cared for him, even a little.

"Russell knows more than you might think," He raised an eyebrow to Bill, "And if another vampire gets close to Sookie, they'll know that she's bonded to me."

...

Eric crawled down into his cubby, no time left to snuggle with Sookie after his long meeting with Bill and Pam. He had allowed Bill to put some of his armed guards around Sookie's home during the day, and one would drive with her to work and stay within sight of her all day, as had become the norm the last week or so, so he felt optimistic that she would be safe during the day.

He once again noticed the brown cloth bag in the corner, and went over to peek in it, curious what Sookie was storing in his cubby. Thick silver chains.

He backed up, feeling horrified even as he felt his head throb. Pain, massive pain. He stumbled back to the bed, memories flooding him of the chains covering him.

He felt as though he'd been drained. Sookie, her face streaked with tears, holding more chains. "I've lost too many people in my life. I can't lose you too."

She had put the chains around his neck, tears mingling with his steaming skin as he growled in pain. "I hope- no I'm sure that will be enough." She had murmured tearfully.

"Will you stay with me?" He had asked.

She had nodded, laying down beside him and kissing him softly.

Eric held his head as the memories kept coming, "Sookie, I don't want my memory back." "If you can overlook the things I've done-" "I'm perfectly happy as I am with you."

The horror of the witch's curse, his desperation to be free to meet the sun as Sookie held him down. Then, the blood bond.

'There's me." Her beautiful face, offering to let him feed.

"I won't betray you, ever."

Her neck tilted for his mouth, the sweet taste of her blood. Her brown eyes on him when she began to drink his offered blood, the feeling of ecstasy that had raced through them both.

"We will be one."

Sookie snapped awake, intense emotions, confusion flooding her. Eric's feelings were an overwhelming mix that made her stumble out of bed, instinctively needing to find and comfort him. She ran towards his cubby and crawled down the ladder, turning to see him on the bed, staring up at her.

"Did I really call you Snookie?"