Sookie awoke in the vice-like grip of a thousand year old Viking vampire, his arms held her tightly to him, his face buried in the curve of her neck. She couldn't tell what the time was in the cubby but she knew she had slept for hours. Their passionate love-making had gone on for what seemed like a century the night before. First in the clearing where he gently entered her under the light of the full moon, then in the air as he flew her back to her house, her legs wrapped around his waist and his manhood still deep inside her as they made their way over the woods that surrounded her little house. Then on the rug that lay by her front door, on the couch, against the wall of her living room, on the kitchen table, in the shower, on the floor of the bathroom and finally in her bed with her back faced to him as he pummelled her from behind. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had felt more complete. Sure, that feeling of completion came from an amnesiac blood sucker but still, she was pretty sure the fable her Gran used to tell her had come true.

Eric was her soul's mate. Every inch of her cried out to him, her heart wanted to love him, her body wanted to wrap itself around him and her mind wanted to know every part of him, inside and out. Being with a vampire was no new experience for her, she had given her heart to her first love, Bill Compton, only to have it ripped into tiny pieces. She had sworn she'd never love again, especially not with a vampire. Maybe Sookie was fickle, maybe she really was just a crazy fang banger from Northern Louisiana, or maybe her heart had been trying to find its partner. She settled on the latter.

Although she wished she could of have laid there all day, wrapped in the arms of her lover, she had things to do, like begging Sam for her job back. Slowly she removed his muscular form from hers and slid off the bed, with one last lovelorn look at Eric she climbed up the stairs and out of his resting place. It was still light, although she could tell it wouldn't be for much longer. Looking at the clock on the living room wall she saw that it had just gone four, Sam should be in his office at Merlotte's counting the takings from the daily lunch rush right about now. Deciding it was the perfect time to go and grovel, she grabbed her car keys from the coffee table and hurried out of the front door.

When she got to Merlotte's, a few of the regulars smiled at her. Jane Boadhouse was sitting at the bar clutching a frozen margarita, Sam would probably have to call her son to come get her later, a chore he hated. Arlene was serving a pitcher of Budweiser to a table full of Renard Parish road crew, her eyes lit up when they clocked Sookie. "Sookie, where the hell have you been? We've been rushed off our feet today!" she exclaimed in her southern drawl.

"Sam fired me yesterday," said Sookie, a hint of anger weaving its way through her words.

"You kiddin'? He's been trying to call you, said you weren't picking up your phone. Damn it Sookie I've been here since 10 and I haven't sat down once!" she seemed pissed, and that emotion seemed to be directed solely at Sookie.

"No I'm not kidding. I went to tell Sam I wouldn't be able to make a few shifts and he just flipped out, told me I was fired," Arlene's eyes searched Sookie's for honesty.

"Well god damn, he didn't mention that at all. You should go in and talk to him, I don't know how much more of this I can take, I'm losing fingernails quicker than you can say order up!" and with that Arlene shuffled off the fetch more orders from the kitchen. Lafayette winked at Sookie and she smiled at him as she walked back to Sam's office. Sookie knocked on the door lightly and Sam growled, "come in!"

"Sam, what the fuck is going on?" she asked, one hand on her hip as she pouted at him.

"Sookie, where the hell have you been all day? We've been going crazy here without you," he seemed relieved as soon as he saw her.

"You've got to be joking. You fired me last night, remember?" she asked him, her anger starting to boil over. He looked confused for a second and then turned to put his head in his hands as a long, "fuck", escaped his mouth. "Sam you better tell me what the hell is going on with you," she wouldn't give up until he spilled the beans on whatever it was that caused him to fire her and then forget it.

"It's a long story Sook," he looked exasperated.

"Well lucky for you Sam Merlotte, I've got a long time." Eric wouldn't wake for at least another two hours and she was mighty interested in whatever excuse Sam was going to give for firing her, changing his mind and then feigning ignorance.

After Sam finished his story about how his shape-shifting brother murdered his birth parents and then unknowingly shifted into Sam, only to manipulate it for his own gain, Sookie took a deep breath. "Cheese and rice Sam," she said exasperated at the elaborate tale. "This world just gets spookier and spookier every minute, first vampires, then shifters, then werewolves, then faeries, now this and witches," she groaned rubbing deep circles into her forehead.

"Hold on, what witches?" asked Sam, staring at her intently.

"I don't know where to start," replied Sookie, honestly.

"The beginning is usually the best place Sook," he laughed faintly, trying to inject some humour into their tense conversation.

"Eric's had his memory wiped by vampires, he's staying with me. I swear Sam, he can't remember anything, not Pam or Fangtasia, or the fact that he owns my house." Talking about Eric's condition openly made Sookie's mind wander, fear creeped into every inch of her being as she stumbled upon a horrible realisation. Was Eric only like this because he couldn't remember anything? Would she still consider Eric her soul mate if it was actually him, with his memories of her? Having experienced Eric's sensitive side in Dallas she tried to push those unnerving thoughts to the back of her mind. Eric with his memories was a tough soul, he refused to show any feelings, especially to a mere human, or part human in her case. However there was a part of Eric, no matter how hard he tried to repress it, that felt love, compassion, protection and loss. Sookie's mind raced, maybe he loved her even then, maybe amnesiac Eric was a reflection of his true self, the man he wanted to be.

"Eric? The one that tricked you into drinking his blood? The one that gave you to Russell Edginton? The one that bought your house and claimed ownership over you?" Sam questioned, his eyes boring holes in her.

"Yes, that one," Sookie began to regret being so open with her boss.

"God damn it Sookie, I don't know why you insist on putting yourself in these situations time and time again. After what happened with Bill..." Sookie cut him off.

"Don't mention him, don't even speak his name," she almost shouted, trying to control her anger at Sam bringing up her lying former lover.

"I'm sorry Sook, I just care about you, y'know that cher." He looked like a puppy that had just been kicked, rejected and docile, big eyes looking up at her.

"I know, I didn't mean to shout, I just don't like thinking about him," that was the honest truth. She hated thinking about Bill, after giving him so much, her heart, her love, her virginity. It stung her to even consider his deception, the fact that he took away her sweetest gift, drunk her blood and all the while he was working under orders from the Queen of Louisiana. What she hated even more was the pain in her heart, the part of her that still held on to some feelings for him even though she couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Sook, y'know I support you, I'll always support you even if I think you're making a mistake. It's your life cher, I don't want to tell you how to run it or make your decisions for you." Sam looked at her, a ferocity in his eyes burning just below the surface, Sookie knew he was being honest and she silently thanked him.

"So do I have my job back or what Sam?" she tried to break the tension that clung heavy in the atmosphere of his office.

"You got a job here anytime you need it, lunch shift tomorrow ok with you? Arlene's refusing to work it, " he questioned, a hopeful look on his face.

"Sure thing Sam, not a problem."

Feeling better after getting her problems off her chest, Sookie got up from where she sat opposite Sam, wished him a good evening and in no time she was in her little car on the way back to her house. The sun was just about to set, Eric would be up soon and that thought made all of her cares wash away. When she pulled up in her drive the sun had officially disappeared over the horizon and there was a blonde Viking sat on her porch, he rose immediately when he saw her car. As she got out he made his way over to her, "Sookie," he breathed, pushing her up against the door of the vehicle with his full weight. He weighed a ton but she didn't care, just the feel of his muscular chest against her sent a chill that shook right to her very core. "I thought you had left me," his arms grabbed hers and pinned them against the car, she was trapped but it wasn't like she was going to run away anyway.

"I'd never leave you," she promised. He was rock hard against her, everything about him screamed pure masculinity, from his chest to his shoulders, to his chiselled jaw and perfect features. And then there was that other hard, masculine thing that was pushing eagerly against her stomach, the thing that made her wet just thinking about.

"Promise me Sookie, promise me you'll never leave. Tell me that you are mine, forever." His strong hand cupped her chin and forced her to look deep into his eyes, what she saw there wasn't just possession or bloodlust, it was love, pure unadulterated love.

"I promise, now fuck me you big Viking."