A/N: I know it has been a while you guys and I am sorry. Life has just been crazy for the past couple of weeks, but I haven't forgotten about either of my stories.

Also, I am working on a one-shot for the Cowboy Up contest and entries are due in a few days, so bear with me if it takes me a few to update.

This is unbeta'd so try to look over my many mistakes.

Thanks as always for your reviews, alerts and reading. I love you all.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

SPOV

When I woke again, I was in full panic mode. I gripped at the tube that was in my arm and wanted to yank it free, but Amelia's hands stopped me before I could.

"I have to go to him. Where is he? Let me go!" I shouted, desperate to free myself. I hurt, I couldn't breathe, but it didn't matter I needed to see him. I had to see him.

"Calm down Sookie. He is fine. He will live." Amelia reassured me and my hands forgot the task they were seeking.

"Eric…he is ok?" I asked, panting. She nodded and I calmed but only just. "I have to see him. You have to take me to him." Amelia just stared at me and tried to push me back against the bed. "NO! NOW!" I shouted angrily. Amelia nodded and held a finger for me to wait, while she disappeared out of the door.

I began shifting my weight off the bed and tried, unsuccessfully, to straighten my gown into something a little more modest. I groaned in pain as my feet made contact with the cold tile floors. I didn't have any memory of what had happened much less why the hell I was so sore.

Amelia pushed her way through the door with a wheelchair in tow and I sighed in relief knowing that I would not have been able to make it on my own. She helped me in and situated my gown to where I was covered appropriately. I used my good hand and grabbed the pole with my IV attached to it and we made our way down the fluorescent lit hallway.

"Breathe Sookie. Eric is fine. He lost a lot of blood and they had to give him a transfusion, but he is not dying." She said soothing my, what could only be described as a birds nest of hair, down. "He will probably have to do some physical therapy in order to help movement in his shoulder get back to normal, but the doctor expects no problems." Amelia tried to reassure me as we rounded, yet, another set of hallways.

It's not that I didn't believe her I just needed to see him with my own two eyes. I needed to see him and touch him and even if I couldn't kiss him, I needed to know that I would be able to again. More than anything, I needed to know I would have the chance to love him.

God, I was in so much trouble. I was in love with him. I hadn't even known him for very long and already I was planning the rest of my life with him. Just the idea of not being able to see him again, had my insides twisted and snarled up in devastation. Oh, god…love? How could it be love?

"Bill is in jail." Amelia chimed in interrupting my tornado of thoughts. "Turns out that gun he had, had been stolen from a pawn shop a few miles outside of Shreveport. He shot the attendant and left him to bleed to death. Luckily someone came in and was able to get him to the hospital in time."

I couldn't believe I could be such an idiot. Not only had I dated Bill but, I hadn't really listened to everyone's warnings when they told me he was dangerous. I felt like an idiot and I felt weak. I wasn't able to take care of myself and Eric had gotten hurt in the process. Bill had not only shot Eric, but some other poor man. And I didn't even want to begin to think about what he had in mind for me. It was as if he were some sort of blood thirsty vampire. And Eric had saved me from him.

Eric.

How in the heck was I supposed to face him now? I mean, I was in love with him. I knew without a doubt that there was no way he could feel the same. Well, he had taken a bullet for me, but it was more than likely not something he had intended on doing. Of course not! Why would someone intend to take a bullet?

"Sookie, we are here." Amelia said bringing me out of my downward spiral.

My heart was flying out of my chest it was beating so fast. When she wheeled me through the door, I nearly fell out of my seat I was peering over so far, desperate to steal a glance in preparation.

My breath came out of my mouth in an audible 'whoosh' when I saw that, other than his shoulder being wrapped and his arm in a sling, he was otherwise unscathed. Eric was sound asleep, I could only assume from the drugs they had given him. The light snore that escaped his throat seemed to tickle my stomach and I found myself smiling as relief flooded my veins.

I stood up from the chair, gripping the back of my gown and slowly made my way over to him. The monitor's bleep seemed to sound my every step and I unconsciously eyed the nearly empty bag of blood hanging to his side. I wrapped my hand around his warm one and instantly felt the tension leave my body. My lungs filled with air as if I hadn't been breathing my whole life.

"Eric?" I whispered softly as my thumb drew lazy circles over his hand. "Eric baby, wake up." His eyes fluttered a tiny bit and then opened fully.

If I had to pick a moment where I could freeze time, it would have been then. When his eyes found mine, I knew I never wanted to know another mans eyes the way I knew his. I was lost in, not only the color, but the emotions I felt piercing through me. Happiness, guilt, relief, love. Well, maybe I was imagining the love, but still. It was as if his every emotion was transferred to me through his eyes and I found myself drowning in the best possible way.

"Lover, I am so sorry I…" Eric started but I put a finger over his mouth hushing him.

"I am here because of you, Eric. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if you weren't there." And I didn't, there was no way I could handle those thoughts. It made me sick. I don't know what my face must have looked like, but Eric winced and my hand automatically went to caressing his face.

"That bastard." Eric growled. "I should have killed him when I had the chance." He finished and looked away as if he were ashamed for me to see him that way or ashamed that he hadn't.

"But you didn't." I said tilting his chin to face me. "And that is what makes you a better man. If you could even call what he is a man." I finished doing a little growling of my own.

"He could have killed you." Eric hissed. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you." His eyes shifted nervously at his confession and I just stared speechless.

I couldn't even think of what he meant. I was just in awe and I knew I was getting carried away because of my own revelation. I certainly didn't want to get my hopes up or read too much into what he was saying.

"I'm fine." I hoped. "What about you, baby? I could have lost you too, you know?" Me and my big mouth, I couldn't keep it shut. I chewed nervously on my bottom lip and silently wished I could take it back in fear that I had given too much away.

Eric sat up gingerly on the bed and I cringed with every face he made as he did so. I couldn't bear the sight of him in pain. I shifted to help, but moved too quickly and found myself groaning in my own agonizing pain.

"…Kill him." I heard Eric mumble under his breath as I tried desperately to catch my breath and focus on anything other than the pain. "Wait…Did you call me baby?" Eric asked giving me a smirk and a wink in the process.

If I hadn't been in pain and he hadn't been shot, then I would have hit him, as it was I just rolled my eyes before speaking. "Yeah, and you called me lover, so we're even." He laughed weakly and gripped my hand tight and brought it to rest a top his wound. I shifted slightly, not wanting to hurt him, but he just gripped my hand tighter.

"I would do it again, you know?" He said with a shaky and very un-Eric voice. I cleared the lump out of my throat and, unable to find my voice, I nodded. "Come, lay beside me." Eric patted the bed beside him.

Only then, did I glance around the room and realize that Amelia had gone or hadn't even come in. I didn't know which. I only had eyes for Eric as soon as he was in my sight, all else was forgotten. I screwed my face in place, determined not to show any pain as I shifted myself on the bed to his side. I whimpered a little when his hand pulled me to him a little too tightly by his waist and heard him swear under his breath.

I nestled comfortably into his neck and wrapped my good arm around him as best as I could. It felt good to have him in my arms. Real and safe, well a lot safer than I thought he was a few short hours ago.

"When does the doctor say you can leave?" I asked as his fingers traced the outline of my shoulder.

"Tomorrow morning, as long as I have no reaction to the transfusion." His voice was tired and I didn't know if it was because of the drugs or if he was just worn out from the trauma of it all. I knew I was tired as hell, but I wasn't too sure how the nurses would react to me sleeping with him. "What about you?"

"Same." I decided that there was no way I was leaving his side, now that I had gotten comfortable and my eyes closed out of sheer exhaustion. I feel Eric's lips touch my forehead as I drift out of consciousness.

When I came to, it was to a stiff finger nudging me in the shoulder. I jerked reflexively and nearly screamed in pain. I felt the tear fall down my cheek as I turned to face the nurse that was speaking to me.

"Ms. You can't be in here. You need to get back to your room." She said as she made her way around the bed to check on Eric's fluids. I watched, unmoving, as she removed the empty bag of blood, until she turned to eye me, silently telling me to leave. I wanted to argue, but didn't have it in me at the time.

I slowly tried to remove myself from the bed. I was trying not only to not hurt myself, but not to wake Eric in the process. "She stays." I heard Eric growl at the nurse as he tightened his hold on me.

The nurse looked, for a moment, as if she would argue, but quickly closed her mouth and finished with her task, leaving us alone yet again. "Thank you." I whispered into Eric's side and curled back up against him.

"Sookie?" Eric said in a near whisper, just as I felt myself drifting off again. I merely mumbled my response and looked to his face, which was looking down on me sternly. Confused, I felt my eyebrows draw together as I lifted my head to see his eyes more clearly. "You need t come stay with me." He said and it didn't sound like a request as much as a demand.

"But…" I started and his eyes widened, silencing me with their ferocity.

"No. You will come and stay with me. At least, you will for a while. Agreed?" Eric's eyes were fierce and desperate and I knew in my heart that he was just protecting me. Whether I wanted or needed it or not, he was doing it because he cared, and I found I couldn't refuse.

"Ok." I acquiesced and kissed the flesh just below his left nipple. "But I'm cooking." I snorted and felt him shake beneath me.

"Sleep, Sookie." Eric commanded as his arm encircled my upper body against his. "I will take care of you." His voice was a whisper as I drifted again. "Forever." His final words felt more like a dream. They fell from his lips as the breath escaped his mouth and I honestly couldn't tell if I were dreaming or if it was real.

As my dreams found me, I was able to live my fantasy and found myself dreaming of our forever.

A/N: Are you proud of me? No cliffy. *grins*

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