Author's Note: After so many requests for another chapter of ALBD before Valentine's Day, Bill and I decided to post this chapter before we leave for our vacation. Hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading.

I let out a sigh, braced myself for the worst, opened the little card and read…,

Mr. Compton & Ms. Stackhouse

Congratulations

L.

I didn't know if I expected it to say more but Eric would never give up his pseudo identity incase someone else read the card; I am sure someone else had. I'd brought my phone with me and decided that I'd better pick up my messages, I was sure at least one was going to be from him. Sure enough I had four messages: Fangtasia, Eric's cell, Sam and one from Pam.

First message:"How dare you hang up on me? He sounded really pissed.

Second message: "Why didn't you tell me? I had to find out from a faxed notice from the King. You were brave enough to go and tell him, why couldn't you tell me yourself Lover? Are you afraid of me or was this all Compton's idea. I never knew you to be so cunning and cold blooded." I didn't know if I was more afraid of a Sarcastic Eric than a pissed off Eric.

Third message: "Hey Sooks hope you're ok. Eric's been calling to find out if I knew about you and Bill and when you'd be returning. Told him I'd no idea but that you had two weeks off for vacation that you could take anytime. That shut him up. Think it pissed him off too. By the way Cher congratulations, saw the fax. Talk to you about that later. Be careful and come back to me in one piece. I need my best waitress here ya' know." Thanks a lot Sam…, No wonder Eric was so pissed.

Fourth message: "Sookie, what the hell have you done? Eric is livid. He tore up his office and almost killed a couple fangbangers. I normally rather enjoy how you frustrate him but this is different. I think you need to speak to him before he does serious damage to the business and himself of course. Tell Bill I said bold move." Great even Pam is worried.

Great I thought, Eric is pissed, Sam makes him think I've eloped with Bill and even Pam who normally enjoys teasing Eric with me is concerned. I definitely better not let Bill know about these calls; but first things first, I better leave a message for Eric and Pam and then call Sam before Bill wakes up.

"Eric, it's Sookie, listen this wasn't planned to hurt you. I love Bill and he loves me. He asked me to marry him and I said yes to him, it wasn't a no to you. You know what I mean; this has nothing to do with you. Please stop calling me lover and please take care of yourself, I couldn't stand it if something happened to you because you did something stupid. I loved you once and will always hold that in my heart but that is not where my life and heart are now. Please don't ruin this for us. I'll trust you to be your pragmatic self by the time we see each other again. By the way, you're scaring Pam and thank you for the flowers but you really shouldn't have."

"Pam, sorry you don't get to enjoy this show. Please don't let him hurt anyone, I know you can't stop him from doing something stupid but I'd appreciate it if you would for Fangtasia's sake. And please don't tell Bill about this. Thanks."

"Sam? Hey Sam got your message. I'm doing fine but can't talk long. Sorry I couldn't tell you anything but it only happened two nights ago and we left for New Orleans the next night. I'll be back tomorrow and we can talk about it then. Sorry Eric has been harassing you; he didn't know either and well you know how he is. He sent flowers here and Pam called me to tell me he's been acting up at the club, tearing up his office and hurting fangbangers and stuff. Listen I can't talk much I have a meeting in an hour, please don't tell anyone else yet and I'll see you in a couple of days." I hung up and closed my eyes setting myself back down to relax a little but the water had started to cool; I drained some of the water, closed the drain again and opened the faucet filling the tub again as I sat and waited. My phone rang the moment I leaned back, it was Amelia.

"Hey girl listen, Mr. Tall, blond and dead called before dawn asking for the name of the hotel you were staying at and how long you'd be gone; he sounded pissed. I'm calling you to warn you that you've had flower deliveries non stop this morning and I've started turning them away. So, how did things go over there?"

"Thanks Amelia, just keep turning them away or throw them out or do whatever you want with them; give them to the church or something. The wedding is going to be here in New Orleans; the king offered to have it at the palace, it's our wedding gift from him. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. I gotta let you go I have to meet with the other wedding coordinator in less than an hour." I hung up and got out of the spa. I got dressed and waited for Chris' assistant to arrive.

I heard the bell ring and went to open the door receiving the biggest scare of my life; Chris standing in front of me in the middle of the day. But it wasn't Chris; it was her twin, her very human twin and business partner. She explained that Chris fell in love with vampire life and had been turned by no other than Sandy herself about twelfth years back. She, (her name is Sherry) on the other hand was dating a vampire but had not decided to change over to the undead yet. She informed me that Chris had forward her all the information we'd discussed and we continued on to set our meeting schedule for Bon Temps.

She was just as sweet as her sister and I realized that this was why Chris was so unlike other vampires and had made me so comfortable with her, it came naturally to her. Hours passed and we'd discussed everything from travel arrangements to the wedding itself; the color scheme (white and gold with a hint of red), the decorations, even the wedding cake. We decided I would wait until I spoke to Bill about the number of guests, the church and if we would also do a traditional vampire wedding ceremony, like King Russell had. It was King De Castro's suggestion.

Bill woke to find us engrossed in various wedding magazines, a happy smile on his face as he looked over at me. He later told me my eyes were glowing and shining like stars as I spoke about our wedding, actually he said any time I spoke about us getting married my eyes glowed and shined brighter.

Chris joined us about an hour later and we all spoke for another hour before Bill reminded me we needed to feed (pun intended). We broke off our conversations and made our way out into the beautiful New Orleans night. We stopped at a local restaurant and sat at an outdoor table. We discussed my fear that this was just too much, that maybe I was letting myself be pulled into a world I did not belong in; I was a poor barmaid from Bon Temps preparing a wedding more fit for a princess. I told Bill that maybe eloping wasn't such a bad idea after all. He laughed at that and let me continue my venting.

"Sweetheart, you are my princess and worth much more than this; but I understand your point, you are not used to this. Should I tell you now that you will no longer be a "poor barmaid from Bon Temps? (He shot up his hand in the international stop motion). Before you start your arguing I shall clarify…, darling, I may not be as wealthy as Eric or other older vampires but I assure you, I am quite well off. And, I have already told you that all that is mine is yours first, you will want for nothing." I looked down at my ring, my eyes widening as I realized…

"Bill, are you rich?" He laughed, pulled my hand to him and kissed ring finger.

"No my darling, I am not rich…, you are." He kissed my hand this time.

"If you decide to share your wealth with me then I'll be rich too," he said. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea. We're rich? I swallowed hard and took a long sip of my coffee wishing it was a gin and tonic instead.

After eating we made our way back to the palace to bid our farewell and gratitude to the king, also making arrangements with Sandy for a follow up with the final date for the invitations. Chris would call but Sherry would be the one traveling to Bon Temps regularly. We'd need to take trips to the palace to coordinate everything before the big day but at times I'd have to make those trips alone as Bill would be away on business. The king was adamant Bill kept his trip as schedule; Bill agreed reluctantly as I wouldn't be able to travel with him. The king assured us that he'd send someone to look after me until Bill returned and for my trips to the palace. I thought of Bubba right away.

We left the kingdom and made it to Bon Temps with just enough time for us to take a bath and discuss the vampire wedding ceremony. We both knew this would be the best way to keep the king happy and keep other vampires from interfering in our marriage; we also selected the date. I told Bill about Eric's flowers and gave him an abridged version of the calls; he pretty much took in it strides thanking me for trusting him enough to share it with him. I did make him promise that he wouldn't talk to Eric about this and then he was dead to the world again and I passed out myself tired from all the traveling.

A month flew by and Bill had prepared himself to leave for France to help setup that kingdom's vampire database, he would return in two weeks; giving us just enough time for a final rehearsal and a walk through for me as to what to expect from the vampire wedding ceremony. Lately I was getting a crash course in vampire politics and Bill was given a crash course on human church wedding ceremonies. We'd met with Chris three times but I'd met with Sherry on and off for most of the month. I'd introduced her to Amelia who informed me that Sherry and her sister were both borne witches that did not practice their crafts; they immediately hit it off and Sherry promised to help Amelia with her wedding just in case Tray asked her. Bill had met with Eric a couple of times but the engagement and the wedding were never discussed or so Bill told me.

We'd tried to stay true to our abstinence pact but it was becoming increasingly difficult; I found myself seriously considering violating Bill one morning when I noticed he was hard during his daytime sleep. Some nights Bill would sleep in his hidey-hole or I'd go home to grans' just to be on the safe side but the night before his trip we almost (completely) broke the pact finally settling on manually pleasing each other instead. Bill had not fed from me for a month and I could see the need in his eyes as much as he could see it in mine; we ached for each other.

Bill's coffin was picked up by the people of Anubis and I followed them to the airport to ensure that he was boarded and made the final arrangements for him. He'd said he'd call me the moment he woke in France. I had to work the afternoon shift and would be home in time to prepare myself for my protector Bubba to arrive. I ate dinner, took a bath and went to bed after speaking to Bill. Around one I felt myself start to awaken to cool arms wrapped around me and cool lips softly kissing me down my neck. I let out a deep moan feeling myself becoming aroused as the cool lips found my ear and a hand found my breast.

I moaned and cried out while feeling myself becoming wet, "Oh honey don't stop. Please don't stop. I need you, Bill."

The lips removed themselves from me shocking me awake and I remembered that Bill was in France; I let out a scream and found myself in Eric's arms. His eyes wide and his fangs down, I could feel his arousal hitting my thigh. I tried to pull away from him and threw my arm turning on the light by the night table; but he pulled me to him taking my lips with his. I scared myself as I felt a part of me becoming aroused again as his hands reached between my legs and touched an area that had not been touched in almost a month. Instinctively, I threw my left arm up and smacked him on his face, my ring cutting him in the process; he growled and grabbed my hand pulling it to his face to see the ring Bill had given me. I could see hate in his eyes and watched as his fangs descended further, he pushed me from him almost knocking me off the bed and snarled at me scaring me to death.

"Eric, please don't, please Eric." I said frightened jumping out of the bed.

"Please don't what?" He flew to my side and pushed me against the wall.

"Don't do whatever you are thinking, please," I begged.

"What I want to do is throw you on that bed and fuck you until you come to your senses. What I want to do is drain you dry and finally rid myself of you." I shuddered and shook violently.

"Why did HE have to bring you into Fangtasia to ruin my undead life? But I will not kill you, I will protect you and will wait as you WILL be mine again; I tasted your desire for me when I kissed you and I have all eternity to wait." I pushed myself from him as anger started to build up in my guts.

"What you felt Eric, was the horniness of a woman who has decided not to have sex until her wedding date. What you felt was desire nothing more." I seethed.

"Every time I turn around I am finding it more and more difficult to believe that I actually once considered loving you, considered being yours and only yours. You've told me that you are the same man that I fell in love with but you are not, you've proven that here tonight. You have never been that Eric, you will never be that Eric again." I started to tear up not knowing if it was out of anger or loss.

"I've wished many times that the witches curse had never been broken but now, now I am glad I never got that wish because now I see that I have been and am nothing more than a fuck and a possession to you." Eric raised his hand as if to smack me but slammed his hand on the wall near my head instead; still I didn't back down returning his stare blow for blow.

"Dont you EVER assume you know what I feel for you WOMAN. You have never been a fuck but you have been mine and you will be again, for now enjoy your time with Compton and have a happy marriage if you wish but know this, before you meet your death YOU WILL BE MINE willingly, that I can assure you."

He walked back and sat on the bed staring at me, I finally noticed the tears streaming down his face. Eric was crying, crying for me or was it because of the rage he felt? I walked over to him and he looked up at me, for a brief moment he was my Eric, for a brief moment I felt my love for him but for only a brief moment. I held his head to my chest as he wrapped his arms around me breathing in my scent as I breathed in his, tears streaming down my face.

"I loved you Eric, I really loved you, please don't make me lose you again. You've been a part of my life, you've been a part of my soul, not even Bill has felt my insides as you have with the bond we had and losing you would be like losing a part of me. Please don't make me hate you, please don't make me lose you again." I begged, I no longer loved him but I didn't want to lose the memories of what we'd been to each other.

I held his face in my hands and lowered my mouth to his, kissing him; it was a kiss full of love and passion but the kind of love and passion you'd have if you were kissing your soul goodbye. He pulled me into him and we fell onto the bed together and continued kissing; kissing our goodbye to every part of each other. I scraped my tongue over his fangs and as the blood dripped into him; he held me closer as if anchoring himself to the reality of our goodbye.

He begged me to let him stay a little longer and I asked him to spend the night with me; I didn't want to let go off him yet. I knew tomorrow all would be different but for tonight I wanted the chance I didn't get when the curse was broken; I wanted to bid my lover farewell.

I pulled myself up in the bed and held my arms out to him. I brought his head to my chest and held him there before we resumed kissing but he didn't touch any other part of my body but my face. A part of me considered making love with him again, we both considered it, but he pulled away telling me that both Bill and I didn't deserve to be betrayed that like that if we truly loved each other.

As dawn approached Eric finally said the words I'd been waiting to hear from him for a long time, he told me he loved me. My great Viking finally said the words that would have sent me into his arms almost a year ago and he followed those words with an apology showing me that My Eric did still exist somewhere inside of him.

We held each other throughout the night and the next morning when I woke I felt as if the restrains wrapped around my heart had been released. At that moment I realized how much more I loved Bill, how my life without him would never be complete; how now my heart was truly and completely his. I called Bill's cell and left him a message telling him how much I loved him and couldn't wait for him to come home. He called me back three hours later; I told him that Eric had been my guard that night. I also told him that he'd been a perfect gentleman and that we'd finally spoken and cleared the air between us. Bill hesitated before he asked me if there was anything else that happened that I wanted to tell him and I let him have it, telling him he would just have to trust me or believe whatever he wanted before I hung up on him. Guilt gnawing at my heart.

When Eric woke he found me crying and I told him about my conversation with Bill. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed him stepping outside to talk; he handed me his phone fifteen minutes later and Bill apologized for doubting me and making me cry. Eric left and kissed the top of my head as we hugged our goodbye. After that night Pam was my guard until Bill returned. She accompanied me on my trips to New Orleans whenever Bill couldn't come along and even went with me on my night dress fittings.

The weeks flew by and our wedding day arrived before we even noticed. We'd decided that Eric would officiate the vampire ceremony to make it more comfortable for me; shocking even the king himself. During the church ceremony Pam and Amelia were to stand for me and the king and Eric would stand for Bill as they were his superiors. The king had arranged for the cathedral to be available for the church wedding which would be officiated by a vampire and a human minister.

Two weeks before the wedding, the king (finally) let us know his true intentions behind his wedding gift offer; he wanted me to do some mental spying for him. He was negotiating the purchase of three Hotels and Casinos in Nevada from a group that also owned Hotels in California. Unknown to anyone, specially the king, I also knew that the king had his sight on taking over California; he saw the purchase of the Nevada Hotels as an opportunity to further purchase the hotels in California from this same group. He wanted to know what the chances were that the group wanted to sell the California hotels within the year and how much money it would take for them to consider selling immediately. This, he believed, would give his people an excuse to be present in the area in preparation of his take-over of the California kingdom.

Both Eric and Bill were livid when they found out the true intentions of the King's offer to hold the wedding at the palace; me working for him. De Castro knew the other Kings that had offered me their protection had to be present for the Vampire wedding ceremony and that other kings, particularly the king of California would also be in attendance. De Castro wanted to show the King of California and his entourage the number of alliances he could count on when the time for the take-over came about. I informed Bill only of De Castro's true plan and later of what the other Kings thought of De Castro as during the reception I'd gotten glimpses of their vampire thoughts; thanks to Bill's blood.

Our biggest concern now was no longer the wedding, it was keeping me safe as almost always I wound up either seriously hurt or hanging just outside death's door. Pam was assigned to be my body guard during the wedding and Eric and Bill said they had a couple of tricks up their sleeves just in case. I shuddered at the thought of those two working together to keep me safe and prayed that Eric didn't have a little more up his sleeve just for Bill.

Trust no one Bill said and I took his words to heart… we suddenly became an army of two.