Okay, you people are freaking amazing. The reviews have been off the chain! Please keep them up. My writing is a product of your support and encouragement. So please continue with your feedback.

Also, with my other story, I used to post pictures of outfits, places, accessories, etc. to give you guys a visual of what I am writing about, but didn't get much feedback for that. Are you all interested in my doing that for this story?

Chapter 11: Holding Us Back –Katie Herzig

Sookie

Sookie woke up and was surprised how bright it was in her room. She pinched her eyes closed again and stretched her arms body, her muscles flexing perfectly.

She relaxed her body and sat, yawning. Looking at the clock she gasped as she noticed it was 11:30 already. She swung her legs out of her bed and mentally ran through her work schedule this week. She didn't work until the dinner shift. Whew!

Sookie went to her closet and selected an outfit to wear until she needed to go to work. She picked out a comfy pair of jeans and a cotton breezy white shirt that flared out in the empire cut style.

Sookie laid her outfit out on the bed and went to her bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Once she was moisturized and had her undergarments on, she walked out into her bedroom and grabbed her clothing, putting it on quickly. As she dressed, she lowered her shields, listening for Lafayette.

He was here and with the loudest broadcaster she had ever heard, hands down. She was essentially screaming in Sookie's head. Sookie pulled her shields firmly back in place and sent them encouragement and a bit more strength than normal. Sookie slowly made her way down the stairs and made her way to the kitchen where Lafayette and the broadcaster were sitting.

Sookie looked inside and her face crinkled up in confusion. Eating lunch with Lafayette was a small woman in pastels, blond hair the flipped out at then ends, string pearls, and sequined Sperry shoes. Sookie had never seen the woman before and wondered how Lafayette knew the woman.

"Hi there," Sookie began, "I'm Sookie. Lafayette's roommate."

The girl turned in her chair and her she beamed at Sookie. She stood and embraced Sookie before she knew what was happening. Sookie gave an awkward laugh and pulled back from the stranger.

"I am so sorry, but have we…had the pleasure of meetin'?" Sookie asked. The woman pealed out in giggles. "No, I am sorry Sookie, dear. I just feel like I know you so well already. My name is Amelia. Annabelle sent me for the spell you require."

Sookie exhaled in relief and smiled. "Oh! Gosh, I almost forgot all about that. I woke up late and feel like I am going to be off the entire day because of it. Nice to meet you, Amelia."

Lafayette was smiling over Amelia's shoulder at Sookie stood and fixed her a sandwich, some homemade chips, and sliced an apple for her. Sookie stomach grumbled hungrily and she began shoveling food in her mouth.

Lafayette said, "Shit Sook, we ain't gonna run out of food hookuh. There is more where that come from, ya know?"

She took a gulp of iced tea and smiled at him, slowing down.

"How ya feelin'? Better today?" he asked gently. Suddenly it all came back to her. Eric last night. Sookie set her glass down and looked down at her half eaten plate of food. She took deep, even breaths and closed her eyes for a second.

She was not going to cry again. Last night had been enough. She needed to be strong. Her Gran would tell her to be strong. So would Tara. Sookie looked to Lafayette and gave him a weak smile and a nod. "Yep, fine. Thanks Lafayette."

Turning to Amelia, she asked, "So Amelia, can you tell me a little about the spell we are going to be doing today and what I can expect?"

Amelia practically bounced up and down in her chair, then quickly settled and began explaining the spell as Sookie continued her meal. Apparently Sookie could expect pain. What Amelia was doing was forcing Bill and Eric's blood out of her blood stream. When asked why it would cause pain, Amelia gave her a duh look and said, "Because their blood will be desperate to cling to yours, to continue its control over you. That's what that blood is doing in you right now. What I am doing is forcing it to let go, but it will more than likely put up a fight."

Amelia said she would need to get a small amount of Sookie's blood for the ceremony and Sookie nodded.

Sookie asked, "Will Eric and Bill realize that it's happening? Or that it's even gone?"

Amelia considered her question. "I have never heard of a vampire feeling any effects of the blood severing ceremony. And I'm guessing they will only notice it's gone if they keep active tabs on the bond."

They would know. Realistically she knew that both vampires were possessive about the blood in her system. But she didn't want it in her. Bill had lied to her and his blood had probably been influencing her since day one. And judging from last night's events, Eric cared very little for her and proved that he had moved on.

Sookie ignored the small stab of pain at the knowledge and she shook her head again. She stood and rinsed the dishes. When she was done she grabbed a knife and held it to Amelia significantly. Amelia nodded and said, "Let's do this. It should be in the living room or somewhere you will be comfortable."

Sookie nodded and led the three of them into the living room. Lafayette's mind was racing about the spell he was going to witness and then she registered his pain as he realized how much Jesus would like to see this. Sookie looked to Lafayette and reached her hand out to him.

He waved her away, but she could see his eyeliner smear slightly as his eyes leaked out tears. She smiled reassuringly and grabbed his hand in comfort. He kissed the back of her hand. "Let's get this done, hookuh, before the sun sets and we have to ape shit vampires on our doorstep."

Sookie nodded and squeezed his hand once more before letting go and turning to Amelia. Amelia held her hand out for the knife and Sookie handed it over. Sookie cringed slightly, remembering the last time someone had held a knife intended for her. She shivered and shut out the nightmarish thoughts that she had just begun to confront and deal with.

"Ready?" Amelia asked. Sookie saw that Amelia had a very old looking bowl in front of her mixed with some herbs and a book that looked like it had been around the block. Sookie inhaled deeply, smelling herbs and witchcraft, and nodded.

Sookie held her hand out over the bowl and Amelia nodded and cut her palm quickly into the bowl. She held it over the bowl so that it would flow easier into it and Sookie was surprised when she saw it begin to sizzle and hiss at her, almost menacingly.

It was then that Sookie realized that the bowl was sterling silver and the vampire blood was being burned out of her blood. Sookie waited for something to happen to her. To feel the pain Amelia had alluded to earlier, but she felt nothing. What if this didn't work?

Then Amelia began to chant and Sookie felt it start. First in her heart, the traitorous organ that pumped her poisoned blood through her body. Sookie gasped, but refused to scream or cry. She reached for a pillow and gripped it in her hand. She felt like her heart might stop. It was excruciating and every muscle in her body responded to the fact that the primary one was being attacked.

She couldn't hear Amelia anymore, but she heard her blood pumping in her ears furiously. She imagined it was trying to escape the magic coursing through her body trying to heal it.

Sookie held on tightly to the pillow. Her muscles were flexing and relaxing, frantically looking for comfort, and there was now a slight sheen of sweat covering her skin. Her body was protesting what was happening and it took all of Sookie's concentration not scream at Amelia to stop.

She imagine in her mind before she had met Bill and had Eric's blood. Everything had been clearer then. She closed her eyes as she imagined a life in which she knew that the decisions she was making was because she was completely her. Not Bill or Eric.

Sookie held onto that and apparently Lafayette who had climbed down onto the floor next to her and cradled her in his arms, gripping her hands in support. She was whimpering and shaking, but she wasn't crying or screaming. She was proud of herself.

Sookie suddenly felt the muscles begin to relax slightly and the blood cool down as it stopped racing through her veins. She felt her heart begin to approach a typical rhythm and her breathing, which had sounded like she had run a mile, began to even out.

Suddenly her body went completely limp in Lafayette's arms and she could hear Amelia utter her final words in Latin, "Sanguis eius est. Desistere insignis (The blood belongs to her. Desist influence).

Then there was nothing.

Eric

Eric woke suddenly from his day rest. He looked around to see what had disturbed his day rest and found nothing threatening. He was puzzled, but then felt inside himself and found something more disturbing that waking up with a stake over his heart.

Sookie was closing the bond so he couldn't feel her. Was that even possible? Their bond hadn't been completed so she shouldn't be able to have any control over it yet. Eric felt it diminishing in his veins and he began to stroke the bond, encouraging her to leave it open.

But it continued to diminish, no matter how long he fought it. He called his blood to him, but his blood was not able to help him in his fight for some reason. Eric was completely mystified. Then it hit him. Sookie was banishing his blood from her system. She was letting go.

He panicked and punched through his coffin. His was in a light tight space, so he was safe from the sun, but he was pacing by the door. He looked at his cell phone, finding it only one in the afternoon. Hours until sunset.

He roared in rage and pain as he felt it growing smaller and smaller inside of himself. Pam was staggering toward him now, clearly fighting the sun. She was already bleeding out of both nostrils and ears.

"Eric, what's wrong?"

Sookie was almost completely gone now and he fell to his knees, helpless. "Snälla! Skicka inte lämna mig, Sookie!" he cried out. (Please! Please don't leave me, Sookie!)

Pam growled, "What is she doing now? That fucking bitch. I will kill her! Slowly."

Blood tears streamed down his cheeks and Pam was shocked seeing them. He had never cried in front of her before. Now Sookie was completely gone from him. He mourned the loss of her inside of him. His connection had been the center of his system. His heart. With every beat of her heart, he had felt his own life force reverberate in response.

Now his heart was quiet. Dead. It was useless. He felt the day want to take him and he let it. He sank to the dungeon floor of Fangtasia and he succumbed to the emptiness day rest offered him.

Bill

Bill awoke and he immediately reached for his cell and called his day security he had arranged for Sookie. "Quinn, report."

"There is nothing abnormal going on," he repeated back in his deep voice.

Bill growled. "Something is wrong with my human. Attempt to find out what is wrong, but in a subtle way that won't reveal your purpose."

Bill clicked his phone shut and felt the blood tie lessen at an alarmingly fast rate. It didn't hurt, but he felt like it was fading from him. He attempted to influence Sookie, which was difficult on its own without having the tie cooperating as well.

Quinn finally called back as all knowledge of Sookie ceased to exist in him, "What did you find out?" he growled.

Quinn responded, "The man that has been living with her answered and insisted that it wasn't a good time. He refused to let me in. I could have gotten past him, but not without blowing my cover. I heard faint chanting that sounded Latin and some panting. There was also magic lingering in the air and some herbal mixture burning."

Bill said, "Good work. Make sure to keep an eye out for her and then come to me as soon as Bubba arrives for full report."

Quinn said, "Yes, Your Majesty," and hung up. Bill had bled some during his time awake. He dabbed at his ears and sighed out. Sookie had gotten rid of his blood. Now he would need to find a way to get more of it into her. He sighed in exasperation and closed his eyes, falling back into day slumber.

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