A/N: So sorry about how long this took to get posted, this chapter didn't want to come to me for some reason. Wrote it like four times and was never satisfied with any of it. Decided that Sookie needed a little crazy, so I gave her a whole chapter to go just as nuts as she wanted. I don't think she disappointed. No lemons here, but next chapter should be a doozy.

I don't want to but I may have to change my update schedule to once a week. I will try for sooner, but now I have a new job and that takes up 40 hours of my time each week, and with two little ones well, ya'll know what I'm saying. Keep the reviews coming, they will help get all this down faster. I have a few crazy twists planned for our couple and I have the next three chapters or so roughly planned out. Your ideas and insights have been amazingly helpful at forming the direction this story will take. When I started, I had a plan up until the introduction of Quinn. I have a few ideas of how far to take his relationship with Sookie, but just remember, he will not come between her and Eric. I am E/S all the way, but I am a little perverted at times and have to admit to a having a small vamp tiger sandwich fantasy. Just a thought, please let me know what you think.

Again, I love all the love I have gotten from this story and can't wait to get new updates out there. If I didn't have to type it, I'd be so much further along. If I could I would invite you all over and just tell you the story. We could have nutella crepes and gin and tonics and have a grand old time! But anyway, please read and review. Hopefully someone is still reading this thing.

Chapter 13

I woke up and instantly panicked because I couldn't move. Slowly as awareness began to seep back into my brain I realized why…there was a giant Viking wrapped around my body. He was behind me his arms encircling me and a leg thrown over mine. I managed to wriggle myself around so that I was now facing him. He wasn't kidding when he said he would be dead for all intents and purposes. The whole not breathing thing was a little strange, but I accepted it, it was just part of being with Eric. There was a small amount of light coming from the bathroom so I took a moment to study his face as he slept. He was so beautiful, glowing softly in the dim light and almost angelic expression on his face.

I started to feel an ache in my chest as I looked at him and the feelings that I was feeling were beginning to scare me. Had I really only known him for one night? It seemed so much longer. At this point I couldn't imagine being without him. I had never felt like this with anyone. It was almost like something was pulling me to him and I wondered if he had felt the same way about me. I pulled his arms tighter around me and thought about last night and this morning. The things that he had done to my body, and the promise of more to come weighed heavily on my mind. I was so new to all of this, but I trusted Eric. He saved me, had offered to help me before he knew about my little quirk. At no time has he hurt me, when I know it would nothing for him to end me. And the pleasure he brought my body, well there really are no words.

I was suddenly struck with the thought that Eric had placed an enormous amount of trust in me. He was so vulnerable right now, I am sure this is not a position he puts himself in very often. I would assume that a vampire would hold his resting place as a very closely guarded secret, and yet here I was. I brushed the away the hair that had fallen in is face and placed a light kiss on his cheek. Then I snuggled against him for a bit, encompassed by his scent, then mother nature reared her incredibly inconvenient head and my bladder began to scream for relief.

I know Eric said I wouldn't be able to wake him, but I still tried to extract myself from him with out jostling him too much. It was easier said than done and by the time I was free, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the bathroom, I did, barely, and while I was sitting there I marveled at the most amazing bathroom I had ever seen. The shower could hold 5 people with room to spare and the tub was a small swimming pool. Everything was done in cream and brown, from the marble floors and counters to the towels. I could get used to this.

I wanted a shower in the worst kind of way, but to be perfectly honest, it was too complicated. I had some sort of touch screen and there were so many choices and combinations that my head was spinning. I just pulled my hair back with a leather tie I found near the sink and freshened up before going back into the bedroom to get dressed. I would have been content to just get back into bed and wrap myself in Eric again, but my stomach felt like it was trying to eat it's way through my spine, I was starving. It had been well over 24 hours since I had had anything to eat, so I was on a mission to find the kitchen.

I found a small bag on a bench at the foot of the bed that had some clothes in it for me. I pulled out a pair of jeans that made my butt look fabulous and a cranberry red long sleeved fitted sweater. The tag said it was cashmere, but it felt like heaven. I found the prettiest lingerie, and I picked out a pale pink lace bra with matching boy shorts. Once I was dressed, found Eric's phone on his bedside table and I scrolled through his contacts looking for Quinn. There were so many numbers that I didn't think I was ever going to make it to Q. Quinn answered on the second ring.

"Hello?" he sounded confused. Duh, this was Eric's phone and he is a little dead right now.

"Hi, this is Sookie. I ummm, was supposed to call you if I wanted to go downstairs. I think you are supposed to go everywhere with me, is now a good time for you?" Quinn chuckled at me.

"Well Sookie, I go where you go, that's pretty much the job, so if you wanna go get something to eat, we go eat."

"Oh, ok so I guess I'll be ready in about five minutes then.

"I will meet you outside the royal chamber."

"Thank you." and I hung up. I sat on the edge of the bed and put on the cute dark brown leather boots that had been left for me. How they got all this stuff here for me so fast, I'll never guess. I stood up and too one more long look at my vampire. I liked the way that sounded…my vampire. I want to say that I was a complete lady and didn't peek under the sheet, but who would I be fooling? I don't know what he did in his human life to get an ass that perfect, but damn, I just wanted to bite it. I bet he'd like that.

I covered Eric back up reluctantly and made my way to the door. It opened just like Eric said it would and I stepped into the hallway and closed the door. I sighed when it locked behind me, knowing that He would have to rise before I could see him again. My stomach let out a large growl to remind me why I had left in the first place and I pulled myself together and went to the other door. There was a lever and I pulled it, opening up the bookcase into Eric's office. I stepped out and this time when the door locked I told myself that at least I knew he was safe and it was only a few hours. It will give me time to look around a bit and really meet my bodyguard, might as well try to make friends with him if he's gonna be around all the time.

When I opened the door to the office I immediately saw Quinn leaning against the wall. I smiled politely and he stood up and nodded at me.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Quinn."

"Just Quinn, babe."

"It's Sookie."

"Ok, Sookie."

"Thank you…so where do we go to get food around here?

"there is a kitchen on the first floor that's open 24 hours a day. They can make pretty much anything you want, but if you want something special it's best to give them a few hours notice"

"Wow…how do you know so much, didn't you just get here too?"

"I did security for the Queen of Louisiana the last time she visited, about six months ago. Not much has changed." we didn't say much for the rest of the walk to the kitchen. Every now and then Quinn would point out something of interest, the Pool(which was indoors and heated, thank god!), the game room, the donor's quarters. Finally we reached the kitchen. It was set up like a small restaurant, maybe 10 tables, and there was a window towards the back where you ordered what you wanted.

"I want a cheeseburger, sharp cheddar, with a fried egg, over medium and bacon on top, toast the bun, no mayo and onion rings on the side. Ooooh and a strawberry milkshake." Quinn's eyes grew wide at my order and the cook just smile and nodded.

"I'll have the same, but make mine a chocolate shake" I raised an eyebrow at him and he just laughs.

"Be ready in about 10 minutes."

"Thank you." I said and motioned to Quinn to pick a table.

"Oh, no babe, after you." The smile dropped from my face and I backed up a step. Was he serious? Quinn looked at me confused.

"What?"

"Are you slow or something?"

"What?…no, what are you talking about?"

"My name is Sookie, not babe or sweetheart, or honey, or whatever stupid name you want to call me. You want me to start callin' you sugar britches, or dumplin'?"

The jackass had the nerve to laugh and I snapped at him. "I'm serious. I swear to God , if you call me babe one more time…..I'll have Eric replace your toilet with a big old litter box. And you know he'd do it too." I stared at him, daring him to challenge me with a raised eyebrow. First his eyes went wide, almost in shock. I guess that was the last thing he expected me to say. Then his expression changed and I swear I could see what looked like respect in his eyes. Then he busted out laughing. I couldn't help myself, I started laughing too.

"You think you're funny don't you, Sookie?" I nodded, laughing harder. Then I walked off to pick out a table, leaving Quinn staring behind me, shaking is head, chuckling to himself. Our food was ready and he grabbed it before he sat down. As he sat, I noticed that he looked like he wanted to ask me something, but he was too embarrassed.

"Oh, just go ahead already, ask whatever you want, if I don't want to answer, I just won't."

"Ok, what the fuck are you doing with Northman? I mean, shit, never mind. You don't have to answer that."

"No it's ok, I get it. I'm not a fangbanger and I don't have some obsession with death. I met Eric last night, and he helped me get away from some seriously sick vampires." I proceeded to give him the cliff's notes version of the last 48 hours of my life. When I was done he sat there, quietly processing my story. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't lived it myself.

"What about you? How did you get mixed up with vamps? Doesn't seem like they are your favorite group of folks." he laughed again, but this time it was small and bitter. He sat back in his seat, rubbed his face with his hands, took a deep breath and told me his story. He kept it short and simple. His mom was caught by some hunters in tiger form, and in her terror she changed back to her human form. In there fear they beat her severely, and to feel powerful they raped her brutally. Quinn came upon the scene, a boy of 15, and kills the men, rips them to tatters. Then as his bloodlust begins to wear off, he realizes that he has no clue what to do to cover his tracks, get proper care for his mother that didn't involve the police, and he knew that vampires could help him do just that. And they did, too bad Quinn was too young to get a fair deal for himself. His mother went a little out of her head from the rape and subsequent pregnancy, so Quinn also had to raise his sister Frannie pretty much on his own. His mom would have an episode every couple of years and it would keep him in debt to the vamps. He was forced to fight in the pits for years before his knowledge of security made him an asset as a personal guard for Sophie Anne Leclerq, the Queen of Louisiana two years ago..

"So, now because of this job, all, of that is taken care of. My mom, Frannie, my debt. All of those worries are gone. So, I gotta ask…why? Why would Eric do all this for a human? One he just met."

"I don't know, I thought it was a bit much, but honestly, who am I to question Eric when it comes to safety? I wouldn't even know where to start."

"But he has named you his companion! This in unheard of. The Viking doesn't keep humans as pets and certainly not as his companion, ever. Man the vamp gossip rags are gonna have a field day with this one." Several people had now taken notice of our conversation, especially when Quinn said I was Eric's companion, and the thoughts were starting to turn rather ugly. It seemed that the idea of King Northman taking a human companion was almost blasphemous. Within seconds every person in the room was focused on me and their thoughts were far from friendly. I couldn't keep the thoughts out, not matter how hard I pushed my shields, and the hate and violence began to slam into me with crushing force. I almost couldn't breathe. Quinn was looking at me with concern, his thoughts the only ones that weren't fueled with anger.

"Are you ok Sookie?" I couldn't answer. At that moment I was seeing my own eyes being gouged out and I was suddenly very grateful to have a bodyguard. The thoughts were getting louder, closer. I had never felt such all consuming hatred before and it was coming from one source. Two tables away sat three women. Two blondes and a brunette, all three very pretty, and apparently all three had been with my vampire. That wasn't what bothered me(I mean be serious, I've known him what, a day, I can't get mad over all his past lovers), the blondes were pretty vacuous, but the brunette, well she wanted me dead. I mean literally dead and she planned on making sure that happened. She was sure that My Eric was falling for her and in her delusional mind she believed that he would turn her and they would live together for all eternity. Stupid crazy bitch. Her thoughts kept jumping from stabbing, strangling, poisoning me, to fucking my man and when she started fantasizing about him declaring his undying love for her as I lay bloody at his feet, I lost it. I jumped up, startling the shit out of Quinn, and grabbed the plate that once held my lunch. I stormed across the room and stopped right in front of miss brunette's table.

"Listen up you fang banging whore, if you think for one second that My Eric would ever lower his standards enough to fall in love with the likes of you, then you are stupider than you fucking look. And if you really think you can take me, bring it bitch!" by this point Quinn was beside me, trying to talk me down, but I had had enough. I saw her plan in her mind and before she could even move, I swung my arm holding the plate and knocked her right across her face.

"Holy shit! Sookie, what the fuck?" Quinn grabbed the surprisingly unbroken plate from my hand and watched as the bitch crumpled to the floor. It was then that he saw the pocket knife fall from her hand, the same knife that I had seen her stab me with in her mind. He picked up the knife and looked at me.

"how did you know?"

I couldn't breathe again, the thoughts around me becoming thick and oppressive. They all thought I was some kind of psycho bitch, but now they were afraid of me on top of hating me.

"I have to get out of here." I grabbed Quinn's hand and drug him out of the room.

"Can we just go back to Eric's office? I just wanna be alone for a while." He was still looking at me confused and I could hear the questions swirling in his brain. I didn't feel like talking about it right now, so I didn't. I was too lost in my own thoughts at the moment to care about Quinn's. What was wrong with me? I am not a violent person, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see that girl bleeding on the floor. How dare she think those things about me? She didn't know me. And to think that she thought she could have my Eric was just insulting. He would never debase himself by being with a skanky butch that throws herself at any vamp that crosses her path.

We reached the door to Eric's office and the Were guarding the door let us pass then shut the door behind us. Quinn stared at me expectantly, waiting for an explanation as to why I flipped out and how I knew that girl was gonna try to cut me. I sank into the couch near the desk with a sigh.

"I'll tell you when Eric get's up. I really don't want to go over it twice." the look on my face must have brokered no argument because Quinn merely nodded. He still looked confused and he was thinking that maybe I was some kind of psychic or just fucking nuts.

Now that I had some relative quiet to think, I began to dwell on what all those people were thinking back in the kitchen and what I had done. I had never felt such hate and malice directed at me before. And I had certainly never been so jealous, had never wanted to spill another's blood the way I had that ignorant she beast's. I still wanted it. I needed something to calm my nerves.

"Quinn, can you get me something to drink, something strong?"

"Sure, there's a full bar right over here, what do you want?" I giggled, thinking it was funny that a vampire had a bar in his office.

"Gin and tonic, make it a double." He made my drink and it was pretty good, so I had him make me another and another. I lost count after four, but I was pretty sure I was drunk. Completely shitfaced, and I could still feel the waves of loathing coming from those girls as they stared at me. Then paranoia reared its ugly head right as Quinn realized just how drunk I had become and cut me off. They had all been with him, fed him, fucked him. They all had dreams of him sweeping them off their feet and declaring his undying love, or turning them and loving them for eternity. Was I any different? Would he tire of me, I was certainly not nearly as experienced as any of those girls. Was he going to keep feeding and fucking other women, because I knew that I couldn't deal with that. As strong as my feelings for Eric were becoming, I wouldn't, no couldn't share. I didn't know what I would do if it came to that. Could I walk away from him? And with that thought, I began to cry, heavy, heaving sobs, blubbering, snot running, red faced. It wasn't pretty and I couldn't stop. My whole life had been upended in two days and I had given myself and placed all my trust in a vampire I knew next to nothing about. A vampire that even now, as I doubted everything that I was so secure about just minutes ago, I still longed for the comfort of his embrace and his smell that could soothe my every fear.

I looked at Quinn and he looked positively stricken at the sight of my breakdown. This only made me cry harder as I realized how crazy my drunken ass must have looked. He sat next to me and handed me a box of tissues he had found. I blew my nose in the most unattractive way and continued to cry. I wasn't even sure why I was crying anymore, for my Gran, my brother, Vincent and Richard and their twisted plans for me. And finally for my vampire, because I wasn't sure if I could really call him mine like I wanted to. I wanted to stake my claim and let everyone know that he was off the market. But I didn't know if I could and that thought was even scarier than being left with Vincent. That Eric would discard me like spoiled True Blood when he had had his fill.

I began to cry in earnest now and Quinn pulled me closer and put his arm around my shoulders. "It's ok now Sookie, please don't cry. Eric will be up soon, I promise, just take a deep breath and try to calm down. Can I do anything for you?" I just shook my head and retreated further into my self. A few minutes later, I heard the wall open up. Eric was across the room in a instant and then I was in his arms and Quinn was flying into the wall.

"What the fuck is going on here Tiger! What have you done to my Sookie?"