The light danced behind my lids casting red lights into my vision. I opened my eyes to find the bed empty of Eric. I frowned and moved my hair out of my eyes. After checking my phone I realized I would have work today. I showered and dressed and checked in on Eric before I left. I cracked open the wardrobe to see his feet dangling off the end of the bed. I smiled and closed the door once again.

When I was at Merlotte's I was actually surprised to see Jason there. The reason behind that was his lack of appearances for the past few days. I found my way to his and Hoyt's table first. "Hey Ella." Hoyt greeted me first as always. I smiled at him and turned my gaze to Jason who looked fit as a fiddle on the outside, but I knew there was something going on with him.

"Jason, where have you been?" I asked him. "Yeah, I called you twice yesterday, you never called me back." Sookie said stepping beside me. Jason rubbed his face and moved out of the seat. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Sookie asked him. "Nothing." He muttered and got to his feet. "Hoyt can you take care of this, I'll pay you back?" He was halfway out the door before Hoyt gave him a reassuring nod.

I shrugged it off knowing Jason could handle himself just fine. I went to work and it wasn't until my break that I saw Sookie again. She told me about what she heard from Holly and that she was leaving early to meet Marnie, I saw the dark eyed woman in Eric's last memory before he lost himself. "Sook, I don't think that's such a good idea." I murmured with an awkward shrug. "Why?" She asked in her smiley way. I didn't have the nerve to tell her about before, so I just shrugged again. "Just that she might actually be a crazy evil witch, that's all." I mumbled. Sookie draped her arm around my shoulder as she walked me back inside. "I'll be fine." She said.

My shift was very long, it seemed like it would never end. I screwed up a few orders just because I had a lot on my mind, Eric, I was constantly going over everything that could go wrong with him. He could wake up and wander into the sunlight again. He could murder another fairy. He could get his memory back. That was the worst thing I could conjure up actually. I didn't want the mean, smug Eric back. Then there was Sookie, what if she was the next person to wander down the side of the road without her memory? It was all beginning to be to much to handle.

When I finally left I got a chance to think without being baffled with loud angry customers. I hoped to find Sookie and Eric at home playing monopoly or something when I showed. The thought was kind of hilarious.

Tara and Sookie were sitting on the couch eating ice cream when I walked in. I stared at them wide-eyed and worried about Eric, how would he react to Tara, or more importantly how would she react to him? I forced a smile to my lips. "Oh hey Tara." I said. She smiled. "Hey Ella." She greeted me. I passed them and put my things down on the counter in the kitchen. I simply had to wait and see how things played out.

I was in my room reading a book when I heard Tara's scream. I bolted down the stairs and rounded the corner. To see Eric's tall frame and Tara's frightened expression half obstructed by Eric's body. Tara grabbed a fire poker and began waving it about in defense. "Tara calm down, Eric stop!" Sookie was talking to them both in a stern tone. "Back the fuck away!" Tara screamed at Eric while he simply stalked toward her. I could hear him growling. I was froze into place, I felt like I should just wait. I trusted Eric, but I wasn't sure how stable he was.

I cursed myself for even thinking that way. This was Eric Northman, yes he was different, but he was still a vampire, and a confused one at that. Maybe he was more dangerous now than he was before.

Eric snatched the poker out of her hand and back up a few feet. I came in to stand beside him. "What the hell is he doing here?" She asked Sookie. "He lives here." I said on impulse. "What?" She looked at Sookie with anger. I pulled Eric by the arm with me into the kitchen.

I stood at the doorway, I could hear them, so I knew Eric could. "You're a fucking hypocrite!" Tara yelled. "Tara wait, something happened he's different, he's not going to hurt you." Sookie was defending Eric which brought a smile to my face.

"He's a psycho murdering asshole!" She yelled. "No, he's not." Sookie said sternly. "This is the fucker who sold you and Ella out to Russell Edgington. He locked Laffeyete in a dungeon and tortured him, he almost killed your cousin. You hate him!" Tara sounded as if she were nearly in tears.

When the door slammed I looked back at Eric. He was staring into the distance with a look of being taken aback. Eric had heard of his true nature and he just couldn't stomach it. At that second, neither could I.

I found myself sitting on the back porch looking at the trees. Eric was sitting next to me. "I did all of those awful things?" He asked. I wanted to deny it completely and act as if he hadn't, but he had. I nodded weakly looking back over the tree line as if an answer to all my problems would pop out.

I looked back over at Eric and resented the frown on his face. "But, you're different now." I murmured. "But, I'm capable of those things and I've caused you pain." He said. A few moments passed, I scrambled in my head to find something to say to him. Something that would defuse all of this. "I don't want to hurt you any longer." He stood and started towards the path to the driveway. I remembered the night I came back and I had screamed in his face like a child. I felt that same sinking, like I was losing all I had and I couldn't do anything about it. I loved him, and now he was walking away from me.

I sprang to my feet and ran after him. I caught his hand and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I don't want you to go." I breathed. A whole minute passed. Eric stared down at me as if to find an answer in my eyes. When he pulled me to him I felt my whole body that was being held into place with nail biting tension sort of collapse. But, he held me up and I was grateful for that.

I looked up to say something, a few words that was lost when he kissed me. Our first real kiss. One that wasn't brought on by fear, and followed by being locked away in his basement. The gentle touch, the softness of his lips, a fire lit inside of me. A fire that screamed 'I was in love with Eric Northman.'

When Eric kissed me, I could feel myself through him. My thoughts only revolved around him, and around the fire that still burned my insides. I was tangled in lust and want. I hardly noticed being carried up to my room and laid on my bed. I could remember what he said about having his room in the basement. But, it didn't matter, any part of me that wanted to hold back was lost to the overwhelming want he felt. My clothes were on the floor and his lips were moving down my stomach when the door flew open.

Bill Compton came into my room and threw Eric to the floor. I jumped up and moved to the back wall. Their movements were to fast for my eyes to catch except when they came to an abrupt stop. Eric was holding my broken chair leg over Bill's chest. Sookie ran in and took in the whole mess. "Stop!" She screamed at Eric. He didn't listen he only held his fiery glare at Bill. Sookie grabbed my arm. "Ella, please stop him." She begged. My heart that had been racing for a whole different reason just seconds ago was now beating rapidly out of fear.

"Eric, stop." I said calmly. I didn't care much for Bill, and if Eric would've killed him right then and there I could've handled it. "Who is this vampire to you?" He asked and I had an impulse to say 'he's nothing, stake him.' But, instead I looked at Bill. "He's your king." The next thing Eric did was curious. Everyone in the room who knew the real Eric so well had to stare at this anomaly to believe it.

Fear took the place of anger on Eric's face. His jutting fangs shot back into his head and he looked down at Bill cautiously. "My liege, forgive me." He said and sunk down on one knee. I was nearly naked, Eric was kneeling to Bill, this night had plummeted downhill in less than five minutes.