EPOV

"$80 million. Are you serious?" I waited impatiently for her reply.

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" She sounded nervous about my answer.

"Sookie, you can't let everything just sit and wait for whatever Crystal's lawyer is going to try. You need to be more proactive in this situation."

She sat up and looked me in the eye. "Eric, why is this such a big deal to you?" I could hear in the tone of her voice that she was questioning my intentions. I desperately wanted her to know that they were completely pure.

"Sookie, I've heard the way you talk about your family. I know how important they are to you. You have to admit that, if Crystal got her hands on any of it, it would devastate you, right?" She slowly nodded. "See, and that's what I can't have. I will not idly sit by and watch someone else make you miserable if it's in my power to stop it. What you feel, I feel."

She put her head back to rest on my body, but I could feel that she was still holding the smallest amount of tension in her. "You told Crystal that you're my boyfriend."

"Yes, I did. And I'm sorry if I said something that would make you uncomfortable. At the time, it felt like the most compelling way to help." I didn't dare to tell her that I was hoping she'd allow me to make it the truth.

"Well, considering that you were standing there in just your jeans, and I was in your shirt and my panties, I think any other type of answer would've seemed a little off." She chuckled lightly at this, and I did as well. I loved her sense of humor. "I'm wondering though, if you might like to actually fill that position in my life?" How could she not see that's what I wanted more than anything? I love her. I need her.

"Sookie, there's a long list of positions I'd like to fill in your life," I said with smirk, "and boyfriend just happens to be right at the top."

"What else is on the list?"

"Oh, let's see. Friend. Protector. Confidant. Lover." I didn't dare name the others for fear of her rejection. That conversation could take place another time.

"Well, that's a bit of a pointless list, silly. You already fill all those positions for me."

I couldn't control my reaction to that statement. Before I knew what was happening, Sookie was lying underneath me, and we were kissing very passionately. I just couldn't get enough of her. I wanted to spend every minute or every day with her. And, it wasn't just the sex (which was BEYOND incredible), but the way she made me feel. I had been nervous about how people would receive me once I'd been released from prison. Let's face it, if you were to meet somebody on the street, and find out that they had just been released from prison after shooting someone 10 times in the chest, would you be likely to try to get to know that person? Would you trust them in business dealings? Probably not. But, Sookie didn't judge me at all. From the first moment we met, she pushed and pushed to get past all the shields I had up around my heart, until all the only logical thing for me to do was to lay it all out there for her to see. And she didn't shun away from what she saw. She embraced it. She quite literally saved me from my own self-imposed prison.

As I began to place feather-soft kisses along her neck, I noticed that her skin had begun to look red and just the tiniest bit swollen. We'd already made love twice in the few hours that I'd been here. Her body was tired and worn out. As much as I wanted to bury myself inside her again, I knew she needed rest. I slowly pulled away from her, rolled to her side, and pulled her in close to me.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asked, sounding confused.

"Sookie, you're exhausted. It wouldn't be fair of me to continue my assault on your tender flesh. I don't want to hurt you. I want you to always enjoy every minute of our love making, and that won't happen if I make you saddle sore." I felt her shake slightly with laughter.

"Eric, I love you, and I cherish every time you touch me. But, I do have to say, I'm kinda glad you're ready to call it a night. I am feeling a little worn out. It's been several months since I've been with anyone, and, to be honest, none of my previous lovers have been as, um, gifted in the endowment area as you are."

She began laughing when I smiled brightly. Sure, women say all the time that size doesn't matter, it's how you use what you've got that counts. But, let's face it, what woman wouldn't want a man who had the size, and knew how to use it? I don't mind saying that I put myself in that category.

"You know, Eric, pride cometh before the fall."

"Then I'd better get myself a parachute, because having you love me is taking my ego to heights I've never before experienced."

She leaned up on one elbow, softly placed her lips to mine, and whispered, "I love you." Soon afterwards, she was asleep in my arms.

SPOV

"No way, mister, you put those back right this instant!" I felt like I was babysitting a two-year old, not grocery shopping with my boyfriend. Did he honestly think I was going to allow him to stay with me for the next 3 days and eat Ramen Noodles? Not likely.

He laughed at my expression. "Sookie, I'm not buying them so I can make ramen. I'm buying them because you use the uncooked noodles and flavor powder in my favorite Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. I thought I might make it for lunch for you tomorrow." It was hard to stay mad at a gorgeous man offering to cook for you.

"Fine. But, I'm giving you this warning right now. If you ever attempt to actually cook ramen noodles in my presence, I suggest you put a garbage can in front of me beforehand."

"Um, why?"

"Because my second semester in college, ramen noodles were the only thing my roommate could afford to eat. She had them twice a day, every day for like 4 months! Now, just the smell of it makes me nauseous!"

We finished up our shopping, and were loading our bags into my trunk when my cell phone rang. Looking at the ID, I noticed it was Sam.

"Hi, Sam, what's up?"

"Sookie? Wow, you sound incredible. I guess that after almost getting killed the other day, you'd be in shock still."

"Nah, you know that's not like me. I'm enjoying what time I do have, instead of wasting it on being depressed."

"Good for you, cher. Now, the reason I'm calling is because I wanted to let you know that we got an update on Quinn. It looks like the bullet more or less skimmed the corners of his lungs and heart, but, came to rest in the middle of spine. He's not paralyzed; however, it looks like he'll have a significant limp for the rest of his life."

This was entirely my fault. If I'd been smart enough to stay with Pam, or simply wait to hear the truth of what had happened with Eric and Ginger, none of this would have happened. Eric must have sensed my disappointment in myself, because he put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me close into him, while Sam told me that Quinn was going to need to have another surgery eventually, but that for now, he'd be working with a physical therapist. I thanked Sam, and told him I would call him back later on. Since he was the one who had arranged for Eric to be here, the least I could do was thank him properly.

Once we got home and got the groceries all put away, I grabbed my ipod and speaker doc and turned on some music as I began preparing dinner for the two of us. Eric said it had been years since he'd had home-made chicken noodle soup, so I offered to make him some using my Gran's old recipe.

Because it was getting towards the end of the fall, the sun went down earlier, and once it was down, the cold could creep over the land quickly.

I had just finished chopping vegetables to add to the pot, when lights all over the house flickered, then died. I could hear the sound of rain and thunder, and knew that it must be a fall storm. Fall storms are my favorite. I walked around the dimly lit kitchen, trying to find some candles and matches. Once I'd set a few up, I was about to resume my cooking, when I felt Eric's arms slide around my waist.

"I believe they're playing our song, my dear." He nodded towards my ipod, which was now playing 'I Wanna Love You Forever,' by Jessica Simpson. (No making fun now, it's a good song). He pulled me into his arms, held me close, and we danced around the kitchen in the candlelight. He made me safe, and beautiful.

The song ended, but he continued to hold me close. That is, until the next song began, and he burst into laughter. It just didn't feel right to continue slow dancing to Justin Timberlake singing 'Sexy Back.'

I pushed away from him, and went back to work on the soup. Now, I can't sing worth a darn, but, I can dance. So, as I pushed vegetables into a pot on the stove, my head was boppin' away, and my hips were swaying with the beat. Apparently, dinner was going to have to wait, because after a minute or two of watching me dance and cook, Eric decided it was all he could take. He turned me around to face him, put his hands under my knees and brought my legs up to straddle his waist, and kissed me fiercely as we made our way back to the bedroom. I'd never made love with a thunderstorm as the soundtrack, but, I have to say, it was spectacular.

A/NSorry this chapter is so short and not much happens. I'm having a bit of writer's block right now. I'm hoping things will pick back up tomorrow, because Eric has special plans for their day together at the farm house. Oh, and PS, the whole Ramen thing…yeah, that really happened to me in college. My roommates ate it every day for a whole semester, and that was 10 years ago, and the smell of it still to this day makes me gag.