DISCLAIMER: I've forgotten to mention this before, but, I own none of this. All the credit goes to Charlaine Harris who makes my world a little more interesting with her wonderful characters!!

EPOV

I fell to my knees in front of Sookie just in time to catch her head before it hit the pavement. She was out cold. What had happened? Why had she fainted so suddenly?

"Making the pretty women swoon again so soon, I see," Pam said, a slight smile on her face.

"Pam, not now. This is serious. What the hell happened?"

"As if I would know. Who was she on the phone with?"

We got the answer to that question very quickly. Apparently, when Sookie dropped the phone, it ended the call. When it began ringing again, I leaned Sookie up against my side, and reached for the phone. The ID said it was Sam Merlotte calling. I hit the button to answer the call, and before I could say anything, Sam began yelling.

"Sookie, what the hell happened?"

"Mr. Merlotte? This is Eric Northman. Sookie just passed out. What the hell is going on?" I was not amused, and I wanted answers, damnit!

"Damnit! Okay, do you know your way back here from the restaurant?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. If you wouldn't mind, could you please put Sookie in her car and get back here as soon as possible. This is extremely important Eric. Sookie's life is in great danger."

The moment I heard these words, I sprang to action. I told Pam that I would find out what was going on, and call her later. As I reached Sookie's car, I grabbed the keys from her purse, and eased her into passenger seat. As I leaned over her to buckle her seatbelt, I hesitated. My lips were only a breath away from hers. It was so tempting to press my lips to hers and taste her sweet skin. But, I knew it wasn't right. It would be taking advantage of her, and that was something I refused to do. When I finally kiss Sookie, it will be when we are both lucid, and because we both want it.

I jumped into the drivers' seat and started the engine. It had been so long since I'd been behind the wheel. I'd never driven a Mazda before, and was impressed with how much power it had, although it was nothing compared to my own collection of vehicles. I made my way across town as quickly as traffic would allow. I heard Sookie begin to stir when we were a few miles away from Hope House. When she finally got her bearings, she turned to me, looking confused.

"You fainted while you were speaking to Sam. He asked me to get you in your car and get you back there as soon as possible, because your life was in great danger." I didn't feel the need to coddle her at all with this information. I thought I heard her mutter something like 'now that's an understatement,' but I couldn't be sure.

We pulled into the parking lot, and I quickly went around to help her out of the car, not knowing if she'd be shaky on her feet after having fainted. Once she was standing, she stayed still for a moment, and then she nodded that she was fine. I stood beside her and put my hand on the small of her back as we walked, just in case she lost her balance. The moment we entered the building, we were practically bowled over by Sam and Quinn.

Sam pulled her into a hug, and I could see the relief hit him when he knew for himself that she was completely unharmed. He looked at me over her shoulder, and although he didn't say it, I could see that it was his way of thanking me for getting her here. He pulled back from her, but kept his hands on his forearms. "We're going to have a meeting with all the staff in the conference room in 15 minutes, okay. Quinn's gonna stick with you until then. I know you may feel that's being over-protective, but, that won't change my decision, so just swallow your arguments." She nodded slightly, and he turned to walk away. After he had taken a few steps, he turned and added, "Oh, and Sook? Bring Eric to the meeting with you."

I could see that Quinn wasn't too pleased about me being with the two of them, but, until I knew what we were up against, I was not about to leave her side. I had to remind myself that, although she and I had grown very close during the past day, and I felt a deep connection to her, he was still the man she was dating. She'd said she thought they would be better suited as friends, but I was positive she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him about it yet. Knowing how important appearances were to her, I pulled my arm back into my body, instantly missing the warmth of her skin.

As we got closer to her office, she stopped, and turned to Quinn. "Do you really think he'll come here?"

He hesitated a moment before answering. "Knowing his nature, I would say it's highly likely. And, I'd much rather err on the side of caution with this one." She nodded, and began walking again. When we reached her office, she put her purse down, opened her filing cabinet, and began searching for a specific file. I was tempted to keep my eyes on her and admire once again how good she looked bent over, but, it just felt too creepy at the moment. Once she found the file she was searching for, she closed the drawer, and we left her office.

By the time we reached the conference room, there were already several people there. Sam acknowledged our arrival, and it looked like we were actually the last ones there.

"Okay everyone, listen up. This is about as serious a situation as we'll ever have here." Quinn joined him at the head of the conference table, and then began distributing a sheet of paper to everyone. It had a mug shot, and some information about the person in the picture. "This is William Compton. He was arrested about 7 years ago in New York City. At the time, he was the only suspect in the death of 10 women. All of them had been beaten, and then tied to a bed, and had their femoral artery cut. The cause of death in all the cases was blood loss. There was never enough evidence to officially charge Compton in any of the deaths. However, there was enough evidence to convict him of grand theft auto in an unrelated situation. He was sentenced to 7 years at Rikers Island, and was granted parole by the state board after 4 years. Once he was released, Sookie was assigned as his case worker."

After a brief pause, Sam opened his mouth to continue, but Sookie held up her hand for him to stop, and finished the story herself. "It was obvious to me the first moment I met him that he would always be a danger to someone as long as he was alive. But, without any evidence in the murders, all I could do was monitor whether or not he violated his current parole. Which he did, less than a week after he'd been released. I met with a Judge, and within 24 hours his parole was revoked and he was returned to Rikers for the remaining 3 years of his sentence. Needless to say, he wasn't happy about it. I got all kinds of threats issued to me from people he was close to. The closer and closer it came for his full release, the worse the threats got. I finally decided I'd had enough, quit my job and moved back here." By glancing around the room, I could tell that I wasn't the only person hearing this for the first time. It looked as if Quinn and Sam were the only ones who knew.

Sam spoke up again. "I've been in contact with the New York State Parole Board since the time he was released 6 weeks ago. At first, it appeared as if he was playing by all the rules, and that he might just leave Sookie alone. But, they called just a few hours ago. He hadn't checked-in with his parole officer in 4 days, and when they searched his apartment, they found it empty. A man fitting his description shot a man and stole his car just south of Philadelphia yesterday. Assuming it's him, it looks like he's going to be making his way here."

Because I was sitting right next to Sookie, I could feel the tiny vibrations coming from her body. She was trembling in fear. She had her hands clasped together in her lap under the table. I gently reach over, took one of her hands in mine, and interlaced our fingers. I wanted so desperately to comfort her. She tightened her grip on my hand, and I saw a tear run down her cheek.

"Now, we've contacted both the city and parish police departments, and they're on alert. Quinn and his staff are going to begin amping up the security here." At this point, Sam turned and looked directly at Sookie. "You're going to have someone with you around the clock. We aren't going to let him get anywhere near you. For the time being, I would suggest that you bring some things from your home, and sleep here. We can keep a better eye on you here with all of the security cameras and staff. Eric," he said, turning his gaze to me, "am I correcting in thinking that in your living area, the room between your room and Barry's is the vacant one?"

"Yes, sir, it is."

"Perfect. Sookie, I suggest you stay there then."

She silently nodded, and Sam continued. "I also suggest that for the time being, you plan on staying here during the day as much as possible." Apparently, she didn't like this suggestion so much.

"Oh, no Sam. That's where I draw the line. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of turning my entire world upside down. I'll agree to sleep here, and I'll even allow for a security staff member to be with me at all times whenever I'm not here. But I am NOT letting Barry and Eric jeopardize their parole by pushing back appointments just because Bill Compton has decided he wants revenge." I gave her hand a squeeze to show her how brave I thought she was being.

"Well, that's another thing we needed to talk about. Normally, we have enough security personnel to cover all staff at all times. However, we're a little short staffed right now." Once again, he turned his focus in my direction. "Northman, what kind of security does your business have?"

I wasn't expecting this. "Well, we've got 24 hour surveillance monitors throughout the property, and we have what's called a 'panic room' just off the main office. It's a 10 foot by 10 foot space that can only be locked and unlocked from the inside."

"Good. Sookie, if you insist on working, I would actually prefer that you spend the majority of your time at Eric's office. And, since we're short on security personnel, Eric, whenever she's with you, you will basically be acting as her personal bodyguard." Quinn was very obviously not happy about this.

Once the meeting had concluded, Sookie, Quinn and I were once again making our way to her office. She asked Quinn if he would go to her house with her so she could gather whatever necessities she would need on a regular basis. When he agreed, she turned to me and said, "Why don't you stay here while I go with Quinn, okay?"

I didn't like the sound of this. She apparently saw my hesitation, because she leaned in a little a whispered, "He and I have an important matter to discuss, in private." I remembered that she had said they were better suited as friends, and I was hoping that she was going to take this opportunity to break up with him. I agreed, and went to the main lobby to phone Pam to let her know that Sookie was alright.

About an hour later, Barry got back from work, and Sam sat down with him and let him know what was going on. Apparently, Barry knew who Bill Compton was already. Sookie must have really trusted this sweet, naïve young man, because he seemed to know her inside and out. As the time grew later and later, I found myself becoming more and more anxious waiting for Sookie and Quinn to return.

SPOV

I asked Quinn to come to my place with me for a couple of reasons. First off, I wanted to ask him his own opinion and what he truly thought Bill would be willing to try. Quinn was very familiar with the case, and had incredible advice for me in the situation.

The other reason, was because I wanted to speak with him about our relationship. I told him that I felt we would be better as friends. I was flattered by his interest in me, and I truly valued his friendship. He could always make me laugh, and I did enjoy his company. But, I knew that over the past few weeks, I had begun to loose any physical attraction I had towards him. He seemed saddened at first, but, the more we spoke about it, the more he agreed with my logic.

As we got back to Shreveport, I asked him if he would mind stopping so I could pick-up some take out Chinese food for my group meeting with Eric and Barry. The moment we reached Hope House, he helped me carry my things in; I thanked him with a kiss on the cheek, and headed off to the common room.

Barry and Eric were already waiting for me, and each had very different reactions to my return. Barry ran up, took the food from my hands and put it on a counter, and wrapped me into a hug. I could tell that he was upset about what Sam had told him, and wanted to assure himself that I was still alright. Eric sort of sighed, almost as if my presence was relieving some invisible tension in him.

We all got settled in with food, and I began our discussion. "Alrighty, boys. Before we get started, I guess I might as well let you know that Quinn and I have decided to end our relationship, and just remain friends." Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Eric smile, but when I turned my gaze to him, it was gone. "So, it looks like as of right now, you two are officially the most important men in my life." I smiled and giggled when I said this, and both men laughed.

"Well, since this is the first time we've all met for a session, let me just set up the ground rules. Everyone is welcome to speak freely. Nothing said here will go anywhere beyond here. Barry, since you've done this with me a few times, why don't we start with you. Why don't you go ahead and fill Eric in on why exactly it is you're here."

"Sure. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. My Dad left pretty early on, so it was just me, my sister Rachel, and my mom. Growing up I didn't have a lot of friends, and I guess it's safe to say I wasn't that skilled socially." He paused here to give a snort. "When I was 18, I moved to this area to go to LSU. My roommate in college was a pretty nice guy named Charles. He worked for a bank, and he always said how much he liked working there. One day, when I came home from class, I found him freaking out in our living room. I asked him what was wrong, and he laid this extravagant story on me about how he had messed up at work, and unless he was able to make $2 million in transfers before the next day, he'd be in tons of trouble. Now, I was probably a little too trusting, so, I never doubted him. He gave me the account information, and from right there on my own laptop, I hacked into the banks security system and did all the money transfers. Two weeks later, I was arrested for embezzlement. Charles and his girlfriend had fled the country, so I got blamed for everything. Luckily, the judge believe my story, and decided to give me a break, since I've never even had a traffic ticket, he gave me 6-months here, and a year long probation afterwards." Barry went on to describe to Eric how he now was able to use his skills to improve the security systems of financial companies.

"Okay, Eric, it's your turn. Now, I know that it's sometimes still hard for you to talk about your family, so, don't push yourself too far. Just tell as much as you're comfortable with."

He went on to describe to Barry what I'd already known about him growing up in Sweden, meeting Pam and Cindy, and running into Pam in New Orleans. My heart hurt all over for him again when he talked about Cindy's daughter, Lizzie, whom he loved so dearly, he adopted her on their wedding day. Then, a year and a half later, their son, Matthew Eric Northman was born. I saw the pride in his eyes when he spoke of his family, and the hurt that followed when he spoke of their death.

"I went into a total state of depression for about 4 months after their death. But, finally, Pam got pretty sick of my bad moods, and helped me to get back into the daily functions of life. I knew that I wasn't moving away from them, I was just moving towards my future. I was helping out with security in the bar one night, when I saw that asshole Drew Marshall and his friends walk in. Needless to say, I was livid. He wasn't supposed to be drinking, according to his plea agreement. But, I didn't think there was anything I could do about it. A couple of hours later, he and his friends were all three sheets to the wind. A couple of them asked me to call a cab for them. We had a special program where, if someone was too intoxicated to drive after leaving our bar, we'd pay for a cab ride home for them. We found it worked pretty well. After the majority of his friends had left, I heard him saying to one that he was just going to drive himself home, that he could handle his liquor, and he'd be fine. I was immediately enraged. I followed him to the parking lot to confront him, and hopefully take his keys away from him. He wouldn't listen to reason. As I stood there watching him struggling to get into his car, I realized that, unless I did something to stop him, he'd probably kill someone else's family that night. I couldn't have that. I'd already lost mine. I would never want someone else to suffer the way I did. So, in order to prevent him from driving away, I picked up the handgun I'd had for security purposes, and unloaded my clip right into his chest."

I was amazed. I'd known the basics of this story. But, I didn't know the huge truth behind it. Eric hadn't killed Drew Marshall out of revenge. He did it to prevent others from having to go what he went through. My respect and admiration of him had just grown ten fold.

EPOV

Not long after I'd shared my past with Barry and Sookie, Barry announced that it was time for him to be getting to bed, because he had to get up and go to work in the morning. He shook my hand, gave Sookie a quick hug, and made his way to his bedroom. Sookie and I cleaned up the mess from the food, and made our way down the hall towards our bedrooms. We got to mine first, and she followed me in for a moment. She gently pushed me to a sitting position on my bed, and then leaned in, and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I'm so sorry for what you've been through, but I'm glad to see you opening yourself up to others. You're on the mend, Eric Northman." She turned and left.

I went and took a quick shower, then came back to my room and was just settling into bed when I thought I heard some strange mumbling type noises. I follow the sound to figure out what it was. It was coming from the heating duct in my wall. I walked over and opened the duct to see if I could figure out exactly what the noises were. Apparently, the duct for my room, and for Sookie's were right next to each other, because I was clearly hearing what she was doing in her room.

At first, she was simply humming a soft tune to herself. It was very sweet. There was a pause, and the noises changed entirely. After a few moments, I realized that, since Sookie was alone, and those sounds were unmistakable, I was listening to Sookie pleasure herself. Are you fucking kidding me?!? Did the Gods truly hate me this much? There's this beautiful, wonderful woman, and she's the first person since my wife's death that I'm both physically and emotionally attracted to. Plus, now she's good and single. But, because of the working relationship we currently have, she's the one woman I can't have. I hadn't been intimate with a woman since my wife's death 6 years ago, and now, sitting here listening to Sookie moan, was just too much. I was hard, and didn't know how much more of this I could take. I heard her breathing speed up, and the pitch of her voice went up, and I knew she was close. God, what I wouldn't do to be the one making her make those noises. To have her writhing in pure pleasure beneath me. To taste her warm skin as she reaches her release. Which, she was extremely close to. As if I had no control over my body, I reached down and slowly began to stroke myself while listening to her. And then, just like that, she was there. And, as if fate couldn't get any worse, I almost fell off the bed at what I heard next. Just as she exploded into an orgasm, she cried out my name. WELL. FUCK. ME.

A/N I want to dedicate this chapter to vikinglass25. I hope this makes up for the cliffhanger I left you with last time!! Enjoy!!!