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...
Sookie stiffened as their gazes clashed. How did he know? Had he remembered everything, or just a flash? "I don't know what you're talkin' about."
"Yes, you do." He felt uncharacteristically off balance, his thoughts still slightly jumbled. There was a part of him that was horrified to realize how…needy…he'd been, another part that just could not understand how she could prefer his amnesiac self.
The silence lengthened as the memories crackled between them, the promises and the insecurities, the passion and the feelings.
They had lain with their heads on flowered pillows, discussing the possible return of his memories, of his worries that she would not love him when the inevitable happened.
"There's the you that's so good and kind, and sweet. I could never have let the old you into my bed, and god knows you tried…."
"Sookie, would you still want me?"
"I hope I would. I hope I will…'Cause that day's gonna come, and I wanna still be feeling this, now. I want to so, so badly."
He had stroked her cheek, his voice soft. "That's all I need to hear."
"You were a different man," she finally whispered.
He shook his head, hands together in front of him. "I'm over a thousand years old, Sookie. I haven't had the luxury of being naïve and trusting for a very long time, but that doesn't mean I never was."
"I'm not sure-" She paused, not even sure what she was trying to say. "I'm not ready to deal with this." She spun around towards the ladder, needing fresh air, time to think.
"Run away, Sookie." She stilled at his quiet, deep voice. "But we will be dealing with this. You and I both know this is nowhere near over."
...
Sookie badly needed a break that day, and headed over to Jason's as soon as she was done with work. Bill's guard could just sit outside and bake in that black suit of his. She needed time away from vampires, vampire problems and most importantly, a vampire lover.
As always, Jason was refreshingly easy to relax with, and they watched a football game, cheering on the Saints and reminiscing about Jason's former glory days. He seemed to sense she needed some space, and carefully avoided mentioning the guard packing heat outside his front door.
"You seen Tara lately?" he asked, tipping his beer up and taking a long draw.
"No." Sookie felt a bit sad, "She's been avoidin' my place. Hasn't even come by Merlotte's lately."
"That girl's got some issues to work out." He shook his head, "You can't be her friend if she don't want you to be."
She handed him another beer, sighing. "I know it." Tara had avoided her since the final witch showdown, her distrust of anything not "normal," still a big sticking point between the two old friends.
...
Later that evening, she headed back home, surprised to see a vampire sweep his hat off and bow low to greet her, like a swashbuckling pirate of old. "Miss Stackhouse."
"Mr. Twining." She couldn't help but grin at the charming vampire currently keeping a close eye on her property. "How are you tonight?"
"I'm doing well, thank you." He settled his hat back on his head, covering the long, old style brown curls that had been so popular when he was a human. "Eric has gone over to the king's, but he bid me to tell you he would be returning soon. Pam is in your house waiting for you, I believe."
She nodded, heading towards the house, stopping at the front of the steps to offer him a True Blood and let him relax inside for a few minutes. But, something stopped her as she remembered Eric's instructions. "No vampire, other than Bill, Pam and Myself, are invited in, Sookie. You can't trust anyone at this point." She rolled her eyes. Eric could be so dramatic sometimes, she pondered, slamming the back door shut.
...
Eric strolled into Bill's house, his irritation thoroughly controlled. Bill's little comment about staking him suddenly made since, now that he knew the bastard had actually tried. A bit of amusement danced through him. It had obviously driven Bill crazy that Sookie had been so willing to lie, to fight with him to keep Eric safe.
It was time he reminded Bill of who he was actually dealing with. The younger vampire might be king, but royalty came and went with disturbing regularity. Eric had avoided the position entirely, knowing it was far better to control his part of Louisiana quietly and his way, rather than feel the constant strain of having his every move supervised by the Authority. This did not indicate by any means that he was lacking in sufficient contacts to pull Bill Compton in to line, if needed.
"Eric? What are you doin' here?"
Eric grinned, the unholy look instantly putting Bill on his guard, "Coming to see if you might still have a spare stake around? Since, of course, you decided not to stake me." He shook his head in a tsk-tsk fashion as Bill turned paler than normal, realizing in an instant that Eric obviously remembered almost dying for the final time. "Luckily for you."
"I stopped because I couldn't put Sookie though that." Bill frowned, "Although now, I wish I had just given you the True Death."
"You didn't stop because of Sookie." Eric coolly denied that claim. "You stopped because you were told all too clearly that you would be hunted down if you dared kill me. For once, Bill, be honest about your motives."
"I am your king-"
"You're a puppet, a desperate politician with too much too lose. " Eric countered. "Lorena pulled your strings, then Sookie for a short while, and now Nan. Let's face it, Bill, you're a snake curled in the grass, just waiting to strike. And then slink back into your little hole. But this time, you acted a bit too prematurely."
"Who do you think you are?" Bill shot back, trying to regain his composure.
"Who am I?" Eric crossed his arms, "I'm the one who can destroy this whole little fantasy you have going."
"Are you tryin' to become king?"
"Unlike you, I'm not stupid enough to place myself in that precarious of a position." Eric paused, enjoying Bill's fury. "But, I suggest you remember that the last time you tried to destroy me, I wrecked your little denial dream world. Fuck with me again, and I'll be glad to help you lose the power you've obviously become so fond of."
He sauntered out of Bill's house, leaving the other vampire caught in a wave of impotent fury. Damn, that felt good. Now, it was time to head back to Sookie's and hopefully engage in much more pleasant activities, or at least a good sassy comment or two from her delectable pink lips.
...
Sookie let herself into her house, pausing to turn up the heat. The vamps may not feel chiily, but she was tired of freezing every night.
"So, I hear you've been getting that string pulled for awhile now, and never bothered to tell me," Pam drawled, appearing in the kitchen doorway. "Does that mean we're not having sleepovers and singing kumbayah anytime soon?"