A/N So, a lot of you said that you were pretty grossed out picturing our Eric with Ginger as she is on True Blood. Let me clarify something, THAT Ginger is not MY Ginger. When I picture the Ginger in this story, she looks more like Dawn from Season One of True Blood, only shorter.

EPOV

After Sookie went with Pam to look at new waitress uniforms, I found myself looking over the same line on the same invoice for about the 50th time. I hadn't been able to concentrate at all. My mind kept going back to the feel of Sookie's bare back under my fingers. The taste of her skin on my lips. The way her neck became covered in goose bumps as I gently sucked her ear lobe into my mouth. I slammed my fist down on my desk in frustration. I'd never been in this position before. Before I married Cindy, I could have any woman I wanted. And, I did. The moment I saw Cindy again in New Orleans, I suddenly only had eyes for her. Since we'd known each other all our lives, our relationship quickly and effortlessly slipped into intimacy. I had never been in a position where I wanted a woman I couldn't have. And the worse part was that I knew she wanted me, too, but that the timing was off.

I heard a knock, and looked up to see Clancy, our floor manager, standing in the doorway. "Hey, Eric, I've got a favor to ask you. The delivery truck is out back with a large shipment of whiskey, but, I need to have a meeting with Ginger about some complaints we've been getting from some of the other waitresses. I was wondering if you'd mind dealing with the delivery, and I could use your office to speak with Ginger."

"Sure, no problem." I thought that getting some fresh air and doing some heavy lifting might just help me get my mind back together. I left my office and went out back where the delivery driver was, and began unloading crates of whiskey. Once I had finished, I chatted with the delivery driver for a brief moment, and then walked back down the hallway towards my office. When I entered the lobby area around the admin offices, I saw Pam standing with a look of utter confusion on her face.

"Pam, what's going on?" When she heard my voice, her head snapped over to me, and she gaped at me as if she'd just seen a ghost. Ginger was standing at the entrance to the main floor, and just then, Clancy came strolling out of my office, and saw the awkward situation in the hallway.

"Wait a damn minute. Eric, why were Clancy and Ginger in your office?"

"Clancy asked if I'd take care of the whiskey delivery so he could meet with Ginger concerning some of the other staff."

Pam's face transformed into a mask of pure rage, and turned to Clancy and Ginger. "Then maybe someone should tell me why in the hell I just heard the distinct sounds of fucking coming from that office, and Ginger came out with her skirt bunched around her waist."

With one look at Clancy and Ginger, I knew it was true. Whether that had been their intention all along, or it just happened, it was not going to be tolerated. "Clancy, Ginger, you're both fired. You've got twenty minutes to remove yourselves and all of your belongings from the premises or else I will have you arrested for trespassing."

After they had both stormed away, I looked around and noticed that Sookie wasn't there. "Pam, where's Sookie?"

"Well, she was with me when we heard Clancy and Ginger. And, since we both assumed it was YOU and Ginger in there…."

"Oh God, Pam, please tell me you didn't let her leave." I felt rage bubbling up inside of me.

"Of course not, Eric, I'm not that uncaring. Her purse is still in my office, so I'm sure she just went outside for some air."

I ran out to the parking lot searching frantically for her. When I noticed her car was no longer there, I saw red. I grabbed the cell phone Quinn had given me, and hit the speed dial for his number while going back inside the club.

"Quinn, its Eric. We have a major problem here. There was a misunderstanding, and Sookie's gone." I heard nothing but silence while Quinn processed this information.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" His voice was laced with anger.

"I was in the back dealing with a delivery, and something happened that she misinterpreted, and she left. Pam assumed she was just going outside because she didn't have her purse with her, but, she must've had her car keys in her pocket, because her car is gone." I walked into Pam's office and picked up Sookie's purse, peering inside. "Her cell phone, taser, and pepper spray are all here as well." Damnit. This was not good.

"I'm on my way there, meet me in front of your bar in 5 minutes. I'll call Sam and have him start calling everyone we know to help us locate her, and I'll notify the cops."

I ended the call and turned to look at Pam. She looked like she was going to be sick. "Eric, I didn't know. I had no idea she had her keys in her pocket. I wouldn't have let her leave, I swear."

I walked over and wrapped her in my arms and hugged her to my body. "I know, Pam, I know. No one is going to blame you for this. Hopefully, we'll find her and everything will be fine. What kind of mood was she in when she left? Was she mad? Sad?" Part of me hoped she was saddened if she thought I was having sex with someone else. Part of me hoped she was mad and wouldn't do something stupid to risk her own life.

"She looked like her heart had been shattered, honestly."

I just nodded, and went outside to meet Quinn. When he pulled up, I jumped in, and was about ready to punch him when he didn't immediate move the car.

"When she left here, what state of mind was she in?"

"Pam said she looked like her heart was broken."

"Fuck. There's only one place she'd go in that situation." He immediately started driving, and when we got stopped at a red light, he reached underneath his seat and pulled out a small handgun. "Here, I have a bad feeling you're going to need this."

SPOV

As I sat on the ground in the cemetery, looking into the sadistic face of Bill Compton, I silently cursed myself for getting into this situation. I should've waited for Eric to come out of his office so I could talk to him about it. Well, I don't think I could've done that. At the very least, I should have taken my purse with me. My purse had my cell phone, pepper spray, and taser in it. There was no one to blame but myself for whatever was going to happen to me. Scratch that, Bill was to blame. I'd just made a dumb mistake.

"What do you want, Bill? You know, this isn't very smart. My boss knows I'm here, and they know you're in the area, so this place will probably be swarming with cops any minute."

"Oh, sweetheart, how stupid do you think I am? Even if someone does know you're here, there's no reason for anyone to show up to help you. And, I highly doubt they know I'm in the area, or else they probably would've found me by now. But then again, maybe not. Cops always have been dumb. I provided plenty of evidence for them to charge and convict me of killing all those bitches, but, they were too stupid to see what was right in front of them. Killing you will be just as fun, I think. Now. STAND. THE. FUCK. UP."

'This is bad. This is really, really bad,' I thought to myself. I stood up, and he indicated that he wanted me to walk towards the parking area. He stayed several feet behind me, and I kept darting my eyes back and forth for some way to distract him long enough to get to the woods that surrounded the cemetery. I had to come up with something. I was literally only 100 feet away from a million places to hide.

Apparently, Mother Nature decided to step in and help me out. The sky had been filled with black clouds all morning. Almost as if out of nowhere, the clouds burst and we were in the middle of a downpour. Bill must not have been wearing good shoes, because I heard him curse and looked back to see him fall, having slipped on the wet grass. I took my chance. I ran head long into the woods. I was amazed at my luck when I entered the densely wooded area. With the sky being so dark, and the rain pouring down, it would be very difficult for Bill to spot me here. The downside being, it would also be hard for me to spot him.

I moved among the trees, making my way towards the parking area of the cemetery, trying to make a plan of escape. I could hear Bill calling my name. A few times it sounded like he was getting closer, but I could tell he was still in the cemetery, and had decided not to brave the woods himself. I thought I heard the sound of tires on gravel, and then a car door shutting, but I couldn't be sure. I just hoped that some poor unsuspecting person wouldn't stumble upon us and get themselves killed.

Just as I got close to the parking lot, I heard a laugh behind me, and turned to see Bill, maybe 50 feet behind me, his gun pointed straight at me. Somehow, I knew this was it. This was how my life would end. I allowed my mind to flash through images of my life. Hadley, Jason and I decorating our Christmas tree while Gran baked cookies. Gran telling me how proud she was when I got my masters degree. Eric, walking down a hallway in nothing but a towel. Eric, serving me breakfast. Eric, laughing at some stupid thing I'd said. Eric unzipping my dress, pressing his lips to my skin.

"Put the gun down and step away from the girl, Compton," a loud voice boomed. I turned my head and saw Quinn standing at the entry way to the cemetery.

"Oh, I don't think so," came Bill's reply. "Let's see, tall, muscular bald guy. You must be Quinn. Chief of Security at Hope House and boyfriend of our little Sookie here." Clearly, who ever had been feeding information to Bill was a little bit behind on recent developments.

"I've called the cops, Compton. They know you're here. You won't get away with this."

"No, probably not, but neither will she," he nodded his head in my direction. "But then again, neither will you." As he said this, he turned his gun and fired at Quinn. I saw Quinn wince and fall to the ground.

"NO!!" I shouted and ran to Quinn. He had been hit in the chest, and there was blood bubbling out of his chest. I heard Bill move slightly closer to me, saw him raise his gun to my head.

"Goodbye, sweetheart." I closed my eyes, heard the gunshot, and waited for the pain. It never came. Instead, I heard someone say my name.

"Sookie, are you alright?" I looked up to see Eric moving out of behind a car in the parking lot. I turned and saw Bill lying on the ground, dead. He'd been shot once, right in the forehead.

"Yes, I'm fine. But call an ambulance, Quinn's been shot!"

"They're already on their way. Here, we need to put pressure on the wound." He pulled his shirt off and pressed it hard over Quinn's chest, and we both pressed our hands to try to staunch the blood flow. We stayed that way until we heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights of the ambulance. As soon as they arrived, they quickly loaded Quinn onto a stretcher, and were leaving to take him to the hospital just as Sam and the police showed up.

Sam ran from his, grabbed me, and pulled me into a tight hug. "Are you okay, Sook? Eric?"

Eric nodded his head, and I looked up and said, "We're fine, Sam. Quinn got shot in the chest. They're taking him to the hospital right now." Sam turned and saw Bill's lifeless body lying on the ground, and just nodded his head. Sam released me, and I felt Eric's arms immediately wrapped around me and pull me to him. In that moment, I forgot all about Eric and Ginger, and just let my head rest against his bare chest, savoring his scent, and warmth.

One of the policemen came up and told Eric that he would need to speak with them, but that they'd be happy to meet us at the hospital so we could wait for word on Quinn. We gladly accepted their offer. Sam jumped into driver's seat of Quinn's car, and Eric ushered me into the back seat and sat down next to me, still holding me close.

As we drove, I idly began to wonder why I wasn't crying. I'd come so close to dying. Quinn might still loose his life. Eric had saved me. None of it felt real, yet. As we got closer to the hospital, Sam broke the silence to tell me that he would arrange for Jason to get my car to me later, and I just nodded. I felt Eric press a kiss to my forehead, and rub slow, soothing circles along my back.

EPOV

All I could think of was that I'd almost lost her. It had been so close. If I had fired my gun a second later, she would've been gone. I held her close to me while we rode to the hospital, content just to feel free breathe, knowing she was still here, and, for now at least, she was in my arms.

When we got to the hospital, we were immediately sent to the surgical waiting area. A nurse told us that Quinn had been rushed into surgery to repair the damage the bullet had caused to his heart and lungs. She said at this point, it was a 50/50 chance he'd live. After we'd been waiting there for about 45 minutes, a young woman with tears streaming down her face walked into the waiting room. When Sookie saw her, she immediately jumped up and wrapped the woman in a tight embrace. Sam leaned over to me and told me that the woman was Quinn's sister, Frannie. After another couple hours of nervous waiting, a doctor came to speak with us. Sookie held Frannie's hand as the doctor addressed her.

"Miss Quinn, we were able to repair the damage to both your brother's heart and lung. It's going to be a long recovery, but, he's going to be just fine." I felt the entire room breathe a collective sigh of relief. Just as I was about to go to Sookie, a detective said he needed to speak with me about what had happened. I sat and answered all of his questions, but by the time I was finished, Sookie was gone. One of the other case workers from Hope House said that she had gotten a ride with Sam, and that he would give me a ride back. By the time we got there, it was almost 2am. As much as I wanted to speak with her, I knew she'd probably be exhausted, so, I decided it could wait until morning. I fell into a deep sleep myself the moment my head hit my pillow.

I must've been more tired than I thought, because for the first time since I'd been released from prison, I slept in. I woke up around 10:30am, and immediately went to check on Sookie. As I was about to knock on her door, Sam turned the corner, and said "she's not there." I turned and looked at him, and he said, "Get yourself dressed and meet me in my office and we'll talk."

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in a chair in Sam's office, waiting for whatever news he could give me. "First off, considering the circumstances, the parole board has decided not to count yesterday's shooting as a violation of parole, so you're still in the clear. Starting today, your case has been reassigned to Hoyt. You can still continue to stay in your same room, but, you'll be taking all your meetings with him." Now I was confused. Why would I not be working with Sookie?

"Is Sookie taking a leave of absence or something? Why am I being transferred?"

"Eric, Sookie asked me not to tell you this, but, I think you have a right to know. Sookie came to me this morning and asked me to transfer you to Hoyt. She said she couldn't continue working with you."

The moment the words left his mouth, I stood. "Where is she, Sam?"

"Now, Eric, calm down. She's been through enough already."

"I know that. Believe me, I know what she's been through. But, I think that I deserve to hear from her own lips what her reasoning behind this decision is. Now, please, just tell me where she is."

He sat in silence for a minute, and then grabbed a scrap of paper and a pen, and wrote down an address. "Here. This is her Grandmother's old farm house. She's staying there for a few nights to get away from the city." I turned to leave, but before I got to the door, he said, "Eric, wait." He stood, grabbed a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them to me. "Take my car."

I nodded my thanks, and left as quickly as possible. I looked at the address, and realized it was only a mile or so from the cemetery we'd been at yesterday. It would take about an hour to get there, so I took that time to think long and hard about what I wanted to say to her. I had a whole speech planned out in my head. As I pulled up to the house, I noticed she was sitting on a swing on the front porch. The moment I saw her, I forgot everything I'd planned to say. She looked so beautiful. She was wearing a yellow and white sun dress, which seemed odd, since it was so chilly out. She had an afghan wrapped around her, and as I walked towards her, I could easily she she'd been crying.

"Eric, why are you here?"

"I had to see you. Sam told me that you asked for my case to be transferred to Hoyt. I wanna know why. Did I do something wrong, Sookie? Did I do something to hurt or upset you?" As I said these words, it occurred to me that she probably still thought I'd slept with Ginger yesterday. "Sookie, if this is about Ginger, I promise you, I didn't touch her."

"I know. Pam called and explained everything to me."

"Then, why Sookie? Please, I need to know. You've only been gone from Hope House less than 12 hours, but I already fill like there's a hole in my world. Why did you leave me?" I didn't realize those last words were true until I'd said them out loud. By passing my case to someone else, it felt like she was pushing me out of her life.

"Eric, please. Don't do this. Please don't make me say it." I saw a tear run down her cheek, and I knew she was hurting. But, I couldn't leave it like this. I had to know why she was pushing me away. I walked to where she was sitting, got down on my knees and took her hands in mine.

"Please, Sookie. Why?"

"Eric, I asked Sam to transfer you because I just couldn't do it anymore. I knew that I couldn't continue to work with you day in and day out."

"But, why? What did I do wrong?"

She gave a short laugh as another tear poured down her cheek. "Eric, you didn't do anything wrong. I couldn't continue to work with you because I knew it wouldn't be right." I could see that she was trying so hard to avoid giving me her reason. I didn't want to badger her after everything she'd been through, but I simply had to know.

"Sookie, please. Why?"

"Because I've fallen in love with you."