I know! I am sorry for the hold up. Now that the holidays are almost over, I promise to update like the crazy Sookie/Eric obsessed nut that I am. Thanks for being so patient with me and thank you for all the favorites, reviews, and alerts. It means a ton and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Also I messed up right in the beginning of one of the last chapters. Somehow I put in 'Kathleen' when it should have read 'Annabelle'. How the heck I did that still mystifies me as they are not even close. See how bad I need a beta?

Anyway, here ya go lovelies.

Chapter 19: How Far We've Come –Matchbox Twenty

Sookie

Sookie gasped and sighed as the hot water of the shower hit her sore muscles. She had woken up and had smiled when she tripped over Eric's boots on the side of her bed. She smiled even wider when she realized he must have stayed in his cubby.

Sookie finished in the shower and quickly dressed. When she opened the door, Lafayette was leaning against the wall across form her bedroom door with a shit eating grin.

"Hookuh, we needs to have us a talk," he said. She smiled at him and he reached for her arm and dragged her down the stairs to the kitchen. This morning he had made breakfast. And by breakfast, she meant toast and cereal with a big mug of black coffee.

"Oh, Lafayette you shouldn't have," she said sarcastically as she poured the milk.

"Shut it, Sook. Well about the breakfast, at least. Sooo, what happened with that tall glass o' water?"

Sookie smiled as she chewed and he made a motion with his hands that told her he wanted her to get going with the story.

"I love him," she said simply. She sighed as the words sank into her every muscle. The words soothed the sore muscles, erasing the pain that they had felt over the years. She exhaled in relief and closed her eyes as she took a sip of the hot coffee.

"Damn," Lafayette whispered. "He must have treated you just right last night."

Sookie smiled, knowing what he meant. But she smiled as she replied, "He certainly did," while remembering exactly how he had taken care of her and simply held her tightly to him.

She finished her breakfast as Lafayette prattled on about nothing. "Well, I's better get my ass to work. Sam will stomp around if I'm late again."

She nodded and tried to remember if she worked. She did. The dinner shift. Which meant that she wouldn't be able to be here when Eric woke up for the night.

Sookie felt her shoulders slump in disappointment, and Lafayette said, "Damn girl, jus' call in sick. No reason to get depressed."

She laughed and shook her head. "I am already on thin ice with Sam. If I call in for no good reason I will be fired."

Lafayette scoffed. "You are Sam Merlotte's one weakness. Fire you? I don't think so."

"That ain't the truth no more. He is head over heels with that Luna girl," she said as she walked her dishes to the sink and washed them.

Lafayette made a sound like 'yeah, whatever' and left the kitchen to get ready for his shift. Sookie finished up in the kitchen and walked to the living room. She grabbed a book and sat on the couch trying to read, but the words wouldn't sink in.

She looked behind her and eyed the cubby. She wondered if her going down there when he wasn't awake was a good idea. She stood slowly and walked silently to the cubby. She pressed her hear against the door, but didn't hear anything.

Sookie looked behind her as Lafayette stormed out of the house, calling out to her without looking back. Once he was gone, she opened the door just enough to get in and climbed slowly down the ladder. Her foot hit the floor and a shiver ran up her spine as she stood in the darkened room. She began moving toward where the bed had been before and the motion detective lights popped on. She gasped, but smiled at her own foolishness.

She looked at Eric, who was sprawled on his small bed. Sookie crept to the side of the bed that he was facing and looked into his angelic face. She smiled as she looked at him and tenderly reached a hand and ran her fingers through his hair. It had been mussed from her fingers last night and from his sleep now.

Sookie looked over his amazing body, which donned his boxer briefs and the t-shirt he had worn the night before. She shivered as she took in his uncovered form and grabbed the fur throw blanket and wrapped it around as much of his large frame as she could.

She looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw she had a few hours before she had to go in for work. She kicked off her shoes and climbed in next to Eric, snuggling against him. She draped one of his arms around her and closed her eyes as she breathed him in.

She didn't even register it before she was slumbering peacefully next to her Viking love.

Eric

At nightfall, Eric simply was. He awoke from his temporary death-like state. He inhaled deeply and his body trembled in happiness as he felt Sookie's warmth pressed up against him. His cock immediately hardened as he felt her lips resting softly against his chest, breathing steadily against him.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. She had covered them both with the fur throw and she was curled into his chest. She had a slight smile on her lips as she slept, and Eric wondered if she dreamt of him.

He tightened his arms around her and caressed as much of her skin as her clothing would allow. He was a man dying of thirst and she was a glorious mirage of golden, sparkling water. He both wanted and needed to drink her in.

Eric lightly touched his lips to her soft lips and then kissed along her jaw and down her neck. His cock throbbed and he gasped as he continually denied it what it needed most. And she was right here.

Sookie stirred, looking up at Eric dreamily for a moment. Then she gasped and sat up. "Shit! What time is it?" she said fumbling for the clock on the stand.

"Just after sunset, my love. Why?" he said as he continued to assault her neck with kisses.

She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed in frustration. "I was supposed to go into work a couple of hours ago. I should call Sam and apologize."

He kissed his way to her mouth and when he reached her lips he was surprised that his urgency was matched by her own. She ran her fingers down his chest as he devoured her mouth and she moaned in appreciation as she massaged his tongue with hers.

When her hand reached the waistline of his briefs, he gasped and thought he would explode. "Sookie," he growled against her lips. She smiled and kissed him, reaching into his underwear and brushing her hand against him. She groaned her appreciation as she felt how ready he was.

He began sitting up and she moaned in frustration. "Sookie, wait." She pulled back and he saw something that broke his heart. She felt rejected. He grabbed her back to him. "Sookie, no, please listen."

He grabbed her hand and placed it back over him. "This is what you do to me. I will always be ready for you, lover. I just don't want you to feel like you need to so soon. I am happy to just hold you here."

She smiled and he kissed her forehead as she sighed in relief. She kissed along his clavicle and up his throat until she reached his mouth.

"Eric, I am in love with you. And I am ready to begin every phase of this relationship with you. What I want is you and I want you now. Don't you want me too?"

Eric lost his control at her question and had her on her back and kissing her hungrily. Sookie writhed under him, trying to get as close to him as possible as her hands raked her fingers up his back, taking his shirt with her.

He momentarily broke the kiss for her to get the shirt off and he was pulling at the button of her shorts when he heard a noise. A car coming up the drive. He ignored it because Sookie had finally discarded his shirt and her hands had both snuck back inside his underwear, kneading his ass.

But when he heard the car door and some angry footsteps, he pulled away.

"Someone is here," he growled in frustration and anger.

Sookie let out a frustrated sigh and sat up. She buttoned her shorts and attempted to fix her destroyed hair as she walked to the ladder. Eric sat up and sighed as he looked down at himself. It looked like he was camping with a fucking tent pole.

Sookie looked back and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of him. He growled low and she pursed her lips together. "I will get rid of whoever that is and be right back to….take care of that," she said, while blushing. Eric grew even harder and bit out, "Hurry."

She scampered up the ladder and he heard her run to the front door, which had someone pounding on the door.

Eric heard her open the door and say, "Sam," in surprise. "Sookie what the fuck? You just no call, no show for your shift? What the fuck Sookie? I thought you said that you would work on this shit?"

Sookie's voice was steady as she said, "Sam, I am sorry, I laid down for a nap and when I woke up it was-," her speech was cut off by a growl and Eric was up the ladder in a flash, standing in front of Sookie snarling viciously.

"Bare your fucking teeth at her again, and I will rip you to shreds, shifter," he warned.

Sookie tried to calm him, but there was no way in hell he was letting him near Sookie when he was so angry.

"So, nappin' huh?" Sam asked in a snide tone, looking directly at Sookie.

Sookie flushed red, but her eyes flashed anger and rage. "I don't need to explain who I decide to share my bed with to you, Sam Merlotte."

With this Eric could see his rage only intensify as he glanced between Eric and Sookie. "I don't even know you anymore Sookie Stackhouse. You are nothin' but a fuckin' fangbanger."

Eric growled and had his hand around Sam's neck, ready to rip his head off. But of course, Sookie stopped him.

"Eric, don't. Please?" she asked. Eric inhaled deeply, trying to calm to murderous impulses racing through his body. He relaxed his grip and released the shifter.

"Sam, I quit," Sookie said. With that she pulled Eric inside and shut the door behind them. She walked to the living room, while Eric waited by the door in case Merlotte decided to try anything stupid.

When he heard Sam stalk to his car and get in he relaxed and went to Sookie, who was sitting staring at her hands in her lap. He walked to her and she looked up at him. "Sookie? Are you alright?" he asked.

Sookie nodded, "Yeah, I just…Sam had always been one of the more understandin' one of my friends in this town. Our friendships been on this tumultuous track awhile, but that was the bottom line for me."

Her voice was fragile and he sat next to her. She leaned in immediately and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. He wanted to curse and swear about the idiot shifter, but decided that Sookie really didn't need to hear that right now.

"I am sorry you are hurting, Sookie," he said simply, because he didn't know how else to comfort her.

She only nodded and kissed his cheek in appreciation. His brain scrambled on what he could do to make her feel better and he got an idea.

"Come on," he said, pulling her to her feet. "I'm taking you out," he said. She smiled and he knew he was on the right track to making her feel better.

"Like a date?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, we are together now. Don't people that are together go on dates?" he asked.

She nodded and said, "Yes, but you don't have to-"

"Don't be ridiculous Sookie, I want to. Let's get dressed and go."

Sookie was now beaming at him in excitement and she turned and bounced out of the living room and up the stairs. Eric texted Pam frantically 'Date ideas?' praying she wouldn't give him shit later. He walked slowly up the stairs, hearing Sookie rummaging through her closet.

Pam responded quickly. 'OMFG. A date? This is too fucking priceless. Dinner. Some kind of entertainment, like a movie or something. Details later.'

Eric rolled his eyes as he grabbed his pants off the floor of Sookie's bedroom. He quickly dressed and waited for Sookie to come out of the bathroom. He began going through his inventory of "fun" things they could do and places they would both be comfortable eating. After confirming some details on his phone and getting Pam to pick up some last minute things, he was confident in his plan.

As he waited, he wondered if Sookie would like it.

So what do you think will be Eric's first date? Will Sookie love it? And how are you all feeling about Sam?