AN: Another chappy-chap.
Thanks for all the reviews and alerts! Each and every one of them makes me smile.
There will be angst, but rest assured; they will be happy in the end.

EPOV

To say I was pissed was putting it lightly. I was outraged and saw red when looking at the photos. Some people had no dignity at all, and would invade peoples lives for money. The guy who got the perfect shots would be laughing his ass off, while counting the cash he was paid by trashy magazines. He probably had multiple offers to choose from. The whole situation made me sick. Sookie and I had an intimate moment, and now it was twisted into this bullshit story. The things Bill had said about me to the media didn't bother me –I knew it wasn't true, and being the 'badboy' put me in a bad light so I was used to it- but it was different for Sookie. She never had to deal with any of this, she was the perfect example of Southern charms and a role model for many girls. Now, she's claimed to be a backstabbing bitch who stalks her ex-boyfriend. The press loved it, and didn't want to miss a second of this lovely drama. The press lined up in front of my house was already an indication of the severeness of the problem, the press in front of Sookie's house was even worse. It was a good thing I went by car, because walking passed them wasn't going to be easy. They were tapping on my windows, blinding me with their flashes and asking questions about Sookie's mental problems. Assholes. If I wasn't trapped in my own car, I would've gone Viking on their asses.

The damage they had made was taking a toll on Sookie, I saw it when she opened her front door. The glow that she possessed had fade away, and left a wreck behind. No smile, no twinkle in her eyes. Without thinking I pulled her against me, hoping it would make her feel better, or make me feel better. Her tiny frame spread warmth and comfort, she was the familiarity of walking into your home after a long day at work and sit back on the couch embodied. My little world of serenity was stomped on by Pam, who decided this would be the perfect moment to call.

"What the actual fuck Northman," she started, "is it that hard to keep your dick in your pants?"

There were no clear signs of rage, thank God. Pam could rip you apart like nobody's bussiness, something I had witnessed a couple of times too many, and had suffered on a rare occassion. However, she didn't sound happy either, and the reason she would be calling probably had to do with the papparazzi lined up outside Sookie's and my home.

"What the fuck... why are you even calling me to say that? If this is about the pictures that are floating around; they've got nothing. So what the fuck is going on?" apparently, everybody except for me knew what was happening right now, and that pissed me off even more. Wasn't I the main focus of this drama?

"Maybe you should check your voicemails every once in a while," I rolled my eyes and ushered her to continue. Pam snickered at my frustration, she liked to wind me up. She did an amazing job at this moment.

"Right. Can you ask Sookie where she got that bra she was wearing last night? I would love to have one just like it."

It took me a while to figure out what she was getting at, but when it did; the realisation hit in like a fucking bomb. Pam wasn't there last night, it was just me and Sookie, so how could she know what Sookie was wearing, before I ripped it of her body. After asking her she confirmed it were pictures, lots of them.

I needed to see them. I needed to see what they could do to Sookie. The conversation was put to an end, stuffing my phone back into my pocket, breathing out an eloquent fuck.

"That explains the media... You've already seen the pictures, I haven't. Can I see them now? Fucking pigs with their fucking cameras."

Sookie nodded and walked me to her kitchen. The smell of coffee filled my nostrils, the whole atmosphere in the house felt so.. homey. Every room radiated comfort and warmth, something my house lacked.

I sat down at the kitchen island, bracing myself for the content on the site. While scrolling down the page Sookie offered me a cup of coffee, I accepted. Our fingers brushed while she handed me the warm mug, our eyes locked. Even when she just got out of bed, she was still beautiful. Not wanting to drool on her laptop, I looked away and directed my attentions to the pictures on her tiny screen.

"How can they even do this? I can't believe this shit."

I really couldn't believe it. I wanted to break all their cameras and stuff them down all their throats. This was sick, invading people's bedrooms and taking pictures of intimate moments. And man, the moments they captured were definitely intimate. No wonder they caused such a big mess.
My body stiffened when her hands touched my shoulders. Not because I didn't want her too, but because I didn't think she wanted it. She had walked out on me last night, claiming this was wrong and couldn't end well. Ironicaly, she couldn't have been more right.

We both read the text that came with the photo's, explaining what had happened. It was all bullshit, and that fucking Bill Compton had used it in his advantage. Sookie's image was ruined, instead of sweet Southern Belle, she now would be seen as a psychotic stalker.
I was so blinded by rage I hadn't even felt her hands rubbing up and down my arms, but when I did feel the warmth they left behind, all rage evaporated in thin air. My body instinctively leaned back, against her tiny frame.
"What the hell are we going to do?" she whispered, almost too soft to hear. She sounded.. defeated and scared. And I wasn't going to let her go down this easily. The people outside, who knew nothing of her except for what the show wanted to show them, were having too much of an influence on her. They made her feel like she lost the control of her own life, I could know, because that was the feeling I had when this first happened to me.

My arms pulled her on my lap, creating a safe space. Her body relaxed, as did mine.

"Go out with me."

Stupid brainfilter. Why must you fail me now? She won't be jumping with excitement at dating the guy she was photographed with in her underwear.

"What?" she sounded surprised, instead of my expected irritation.

"Let me take you out. I was serious when I said I liked you, and this whole situation is shit, but I want to make it work. You and me."

"You just don't give up, do you?" she replied, a small smile evident in her voice. My comeback was a simple "no". With a loud sigh she claimed to be tired of fighting me. Finally, I thought. There is only that much chasing a guy can do, and I was already so pussy whipped that I had started to seriously doubt my manhood. The funny thing; Sookie was oblivious, and it wasn't even on purpose. She was that innocent. I wanted her to be mine, because she already owned me.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yeah."

My body stayed in it's spot, holding Sookie and tracing her skin with my fingers. Inside, I was jumping around and cheering like a 13-year old. I would so be doing a victory dance as soon as I stepped into my home, and was alone. Nobody needed to see that.

"You asshole!"

Sookie and I both jumped up, looking in the direction where the shouting was coming from. Amelia stood in the doorway, despite her ridiculous bedhair and wrinkled clothes still looking very dangerous. Sookie scrambled off my lap, straightening her clothes, that had krept up dangerously high, showing her amazing legs. Do. Not. Look.

Having a hard-on while getting yelled at by the best friend of the girl that caused it wasn't good, and I picked my mind from the gutter.

"Amelia," Sookie chided, "can we talk for a minute? In private."

I was awarded another deathglare from the girl with her pixiehaircut, and an apologetic smile from Sookie. The girls left the kitchen, and there was a short silence. I didn't want to eavesdrop, but they spoke with loud voices, and I couldn't help picking up scraps of their conversation.

"He has been nothing but an asshole to you." Coming from Amelia.

"You don't know him." Sookie backfired, sounding offended. My heart leaped at the fact she was defending me.

"Do you?" Silence. Well shit, this isn't going smooth. The discussion continued, but not loud enough for me to pick up anything. Amelia was the first one to speak loudly again, to my relief.
"Can you trust him? With these pictures floating around now. You went home with him, and suddenly you two are all over the internet and in every magazine. That's just too much of a coincidence. Bill's his friend, they can be working together. You know how much Bill liked the attention, Eric probably does too." She did have a point, it was fucking weird. I had nothing to do with it, but it wouldn't surprise me that people would think that I had. I couldn't help but feel offended, and irritated that Amelia brought this up to Sookie.

"Sook. I'm just trying to help you."

"I know you are.. Maybe a vacation is a good idea, I can stay with Gran and wait for this to all blow over."

Wait for all this to blow over... meaning that she wouldn't fight this with me at her side. That last sentence was a punch in the guts, and I've never felt more rejected. I wanted to make it work, I told her I did, and she agreed. We would make it work. She agreed that we would make it work. Right?

Amelia and Sookie returned. Amelia went straight for the coffee, huffed at me and left the kitchen. Sookie kept her distance, and refused to meet my gaze.

"What did you mean by waiting for all this to blow over?" I said, my voice colder than I had wanted. I saw Sookie flinch from the corner of my eyes.

"Amelia said it would be the best. Take a break from this whole city, and relax," she paused, "these photo's won't haunt me there, like they do here."

I let my hand wander through my hair, tugging the knots. I wanted to shout, forcing her to stay here, make her keep the promise she made, to make her think for herself. But I couldn't. Something in me said 'enough'. And with no more fight left in me I listened to it.

I stood up and walked away from her, ignoring her scent that pulled me to her and the hurt that plastered her face. My heart told me to hold her tight, but my mind had other plans. Amelia was right; I was an asshole and I didn't deserve her. One night with me, and she was ruined.

My hand was resting on the doorknob of her frontdoor. She had followed me.

"I wish you the best, Sookie Stackhouse." I said against the door, because turning around and facing her was something I couldn't cope with. She would be fine without me.

AN: Poor Eric. So much feelings.
I'm going to enjoy the sunny weather now while it lasts. You'll never know in Holland.
Just 2 days ago it was pouring with rain.