I own nothing related to True Blood.

Two Years Ago…

As Eric ran his fingertips along the length of her arm, Paige let out a contented sigh and snuggled closer to his chest – there was hardly anything better in this world than snuggling in bed with the vampire she loved after making passionate, strenuous love. Paige allowed her own fingertips to draw patterns on his bare chest for a few moments before she turned her head to place a kiss just under his collarbone. Eric was the one to sigh this time and it brought a smile to her lips – when his fingers threaded through her red hair she lifted her gaze to her meet his, propping her chin up on his sternum. For a moment she was blindsided by how beautiful he looked in the aftermath of their love making, all content and satisfied and disheveled. Sometimes she found it hard to believe how lucky she truly was to have such an amazing being in her life.

Eric moved his hands to grasp her by the upper arms, pulling her closer so he could place a lingering kiss against her lips. "I love you." He murmured, his lips brushing against hers with his words.

Paige smiled and reached up to brush a lock of blonde hair away from his face. Soon the smile on her face became a teasing one and she tilted her head at him, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. "Alright, what do you want?" She asked jokingly.

Eric looked baffled for a moment, his jaw dropping a little as he looked to her in mock offence. "What, I am no longer allowed to dote on the woman I love? I must have a reason for telling you that I love you?" He asked in an incredulous tone.

Paige laughed and affectionately tapped the end of his nose with the tip of her finger. "No, no, no." She told him with a large smile on her face. "Of course not. Feel free to dote away." Then she pressed a kiss to his lips, savoring the moment. "And I love you, too."

He looked much more satisfied with that response. He smiled at her in satisfaction before sighing and gently trailing his fingertips along her cheek. After a few moments she realized that the expression on his face was a thoughtful one. Paige tiled her head questioningly, trying to determine what the look meant. "What's going on in that head of yours?" She finally asked, looking down at him with slightly-concerned eyes.

Eric hesitated for a long few seconds. Then, he finally asked, "Do you ever think about what that human said to you when we first began seeing one another?"

She knew in an instant exactly who and what Eric was talking about – he was referring to the time that Andrew had turned up at her townhouse and tried to convince her that Eric was no good for her, that he would only grow bored with her once she had grown older and lost her youthful beauty. "Not really." Paige answered truthfully. "Why, do you?"

Eric sighed and pursed his lips for a moment. "Yes." He admitted quietly, making her eyebrows furrow together. "…because he was right."

Paige frowned at hearing him say that because it could have meant a number of things, none of which left her feeling very good about where this conversation was headed. Paige pushed off his chest and slowly sat up, using a sheet to cover her bare body as she stared down at her vampire boyfriend. "About what, exactly?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow, the look in her eyes letting him know that he needed to choose his words wisely.

Eric followed her suit and sat up in bed, his expression very serious now. "About the fact that you are growing older." He clarified himself. "And that some day you will…" He gulped, looking as though he were struggling to get the words out for a second. "No longer be here." He finally concluded.

Paige relaxed a bit, then sighed and nodded her head. "Yeah, true…but that's a very long time away, Eric." She said, trying to reassure him. "Remember what we decided when we first got together? We knew that there would be a lot of obstacles in our way but agreed that we would just cross those bridges when we came to them." Paige continued, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek – Eric leaned into her touch, his eyes locked on hers as he listened to her speak. "We haven't come to that bridge yet, sweetheart. And we probably won't for a very long time, so there's no need to worry about it right now." She finished with an encouraging smile.

Eric frowned, looking entirely unconvinced as he reached up to grasp the hand she had on his face and hold it in his much larger one. "Paige, you are mortal." He countered, as though this was something she needed reminding of. "Which means any moment could be your last – what if something happens to you while we're apart? What if I cannot be there to save you?" He questioned. "Darling, if we come to that particular bridge, there may be nothing that we can do to overcome it." Eric finally finished pointedly. "I might…I might lose you forever."

Paige almost started to tell him that this was only a worst case scenario and that he shouldn't be so paranoid, but suddenly she realized that he had a point. The world that they lived in was a dangerous, unpredictable one, and every time she walked out the door she was taking the risk that she might never return – how many people her age died every day? How many horrible, unpredictable accidents occurred around the world at any given moment? There was no telling what each new day had in store for a mere mortal like herself.

"So what are you suggesting, Eric?" Paige finally asked, already fairly certain she knew what he was about to say.

He hesitated, then tightened the hold he had on her hand and, with pleading eyes, said, "Allow me to turn you."

Paige had expected it, but her eyes still widened with shock. Eric truly wanted to turn her into a vampire? She had known that he loved her and that their relationship was no joking matter – they'd been in a serious, committed relationship for six months now – but this was a very serious aspect of their relationship that they hadn't dared to delve into yet. She knew she wanted to be with Eric, but was being a vampire something that she wanted as well? Could she give up her mortal life and everything that came with it?

Paige looked into Eric's hopeful eyes and sighed, knowing he wanted her to say yes but finding that she was unable to actually do so. The thought of having Eric by her side for the rest of her life was something she had dreamed about, but, admittedly, the idea of 'forever' was something that she had always been skeptical of. "I don't know, Eric…" She finally said quietly, turning her eyes down to stare at their joined hands.

"I know it's a big decision and I am not asking you to decide now." Eric said slowly. "I ask only that you consider it, that you do not cast the idea to the side." He continued, looking to her with earnest. "Think about it, darling…just you and me for all eternity." He said with a smile – she sighed when he raised his free hand up to her cheek. "I would gladly give up my position of power if it meant that you and I could live together and in peace for the rest of our existence." Eric then confessed.

His words genuinely surprised her. Paige knew how much pride he held in being a sheriff, how much he loved his position within the vampire community. He would be willing to give all of that up just for her? He truly loved her that much? "Eric, I would never ask you to do that." She told him with a small frown. "That's too much to give up."

"Not if it means I get you." Eric argued back, still trying to make her see things from his perspective.

"Eric…" She chided gently before sighing and falling silent for a long few moments as she considered everything they were discussing. Deciding to be truthful about some of her own fears, Paige finally said, "I'll consider it…but I just…" She sighed again. "I don't know. I don't know if I even believe in forever, Eric." Paige finally admitted.

Eric's expression changed from hopeful and optimistic to that of rejection. Then, as his gaze hardened some, he pulled his hand from hers. "You do not believe in forever…" He asked slowly, his tone even and measured. "…or you do not believe in forever with me?"

Paige could sense that this conversation was starting to take a turn for the worst. Hoping to salvage the situation before anything got out of hand, she quickly began to explain herself. "Eric, you know I love you." She reminded him earnestly. "It's just that so many people promise each other forever and then never stick true to it. Look at my parents, for example – they were married for over twenty five years – twenty five – and then one day they just called it quits." She told him. Paige then scooted closer to him and brought a hand up to rest on the side of his neck. "What if the same thing happened to us?" She asked, allowing him to see the genuine worry in her gaze.

"I would never leave you." Eric told her fiercely. "I have told you this hundreds of times. Why do you continue to doubt me?"

The snappish tone behind his words made her bristle a bit. "I'm not doubting you!" She defended herself. "I'm just trying to talk to you about the things that worry me! Isn't that what couples do? Talk through their fears and worries?"

Eric didn't seem to believe her. "How long were you planning to keep this to yourself? And furthermore, how long were you planning to keep me around if you do not believe in forever?" Eric demanded to know, his jaw tightening with anger. She could see that he was starting to get upset, so she tried to move in to kiss him and calm him down, hoping they could talk about this rationally. He moved out of reach before she could, however, and pinned her into place with a firm glare. "Answer me, Paige."

Growing impatient with him and the fact that he was wildly misconstruing everything she was trying to tell him, Paige crossed her arms and frowned at him in disapproval. "Eric, you're being a little ridiculous right now." She countered in exasperation. "I'm just trying to be open and honest with you. It's unfair of you to be mad at me for worrying about things like this – I'm a mortal woman who's in love with a vampire that will outlive me an infinity over." She reminded him with raised eyebrows. "You might worry a little bit too if the roles were reversed."

Eric visibly grew angrier but he said nothing, simply threw the covers off and jumped out bed, leaving Paige to stare at him in stunned silence as he hastily redressed. When he started to head for the door, however, she scrambled out of bed and tried to follow after him, nearly tripping when she became tangled in the bedsheets – there were few things in the world that irritated her more than when someone walked out on her during a fight (or hung up on her during a phone argument). No way was she about to let him walk out on her now.

"Eric, where are you going?" She asked angrily.

He froze at the door with his hand on the knob. "I have business to do. And I have things that I need to think about." He said stiffly, not even turning to look at her. "When I return, it would be better if you were not here."

Paige blinked at him in shock then felt red hot anger boil up inside her. "You're kicking me out because I won't let you turn me into a damn vampire?" She snapped at him furiously, resisting the urge to grab the nearest blunt object and throw it at his annoyingly perfect face.

Eric finally cast a look at her over his shoulder, his eyebrows quirked upward coldly. "I am kicking you out because you rejected our future, Paige. Now leave."

And with that he straightened his shirt and walked out the door, leaving Paige to stare at the space he'd just occupied in shock.

Five days, countless glasses of wine, and two gallons of Bluebell's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream later, Paige could be found sitting on the couch in her townhome staring at the television screen with half-hearted interest. It was Thursday night, which meant she should have been sitting here with Eric, should have been wrapped up in his arms as they watched TV together and enjoyed each other's company away from the madness of Fangtasia. But, as it was, she hadn't seen Eric all week long, nor had she spoken to him since their first massive fight that pervious weekend. That isn't to say she hadn't tried of course, but he'd been stubbornly ignoring her every attempt to get into contact with him and smooth things over – it was the longest they had gone without seeing or speaking to each other since they'd began dating, and by this point, Paige was starting to feel like she was the most miserable, pathetic person on the face of the planet.

Admittedly, Paige had thought Eric would have caved by now. She'd thought that maybe he would've realized how ridiculous and irrational he had been acting and come over to apologize and beg her forgiveness...but with each night that passed where he didn't try to contact her, she began to realize that wasn't going to be the case. Paige knew she should have expected for him to behave this way – Eric could be incredibly hard-headed when he wanted to be and his pride was a force to be reckoned with when wounded. By now Paige had given up the hope that he would come to see her. But if he was waiting for her to grovel at his feet and beg for forgiveness, well…he had another thing coming. All she had been trying to do was discuss the situation and be honest with him about her own views and concerns in regards to long-term relationships; he was the one that had twisted everything around and turned it into the debacle that it was now.

Paige sighed and shoved a piece of popcorn into her mouth, trying but failing to pay attention to the show on her television. She shifted to get more comfortable, still trying to focus on the show, but, after a moment or two, found her eyes drifting to the motionless cell phone resting on the coffee table in front of her – Paige only briefly contemplated trying to call Eric before she decided against it. Don't cave, she told herself firmly, that's what he wants.

Three firm knocks suddenly sounded on her door, making her sit up sharply and turn curious eyes in the direction of the door. There was a brief moment of hopefulness where she prayed that Eric had finally come to talk things out, but then a feeling of annoyance quickly overshadowed it – if that was Eric, he'd better have a damn good apology to deliver for the way he'd been acting the past week.

Setting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, Paige stood up and headed for the door, pausing to plaster on a stern, unimpressed expression on her face (in case it was indeed Eric) before jerking the door open for dramatic effect.

The instant she saw the people standing on her doorstep, it felt like her heart had turned to lead and dropped to the pit of her stomach. It wasn't Eric on the other side of the door after all, but two men – two human men – that she had never wanted to see again.

The cash she'd borrowed…the loan sharks. In her joy of being with Eric and being in love, she'd all but forgotten about the men and the money she'd owed them; she'd forgotten just about anything not having to do with Eric, truth be told. The weekend she'd blown all of her money and, out of desperation, been forced to go to the shady men for help had become a distant memory. But now those memories were rushing back to her and Paige could do nothing but stare at the men with wide eyes.

"Good evening, Ms. Collins." The one on the left said – his name was Anthony, and he was a short but muscular Italian man in his early thirties. He had greasy hair and a face that was quickly losing the war against the beard growing on his face, and at the moment he was half-smiling, half-sneering at her. "You seem surprised to see us."

Paige wasn't sure what to say in response. She gulped, glancing over at the one named Marcus – a tall, lanky, twenty-something Hispanic man – then nervously cleared her throat. "No, no. I just…wasn't expecting anyone." She said in as steady of a voice as she could. "What are you doing here?"

Anthony and Marcus shared a look. "Our boss would like to have a word with you." Marcus answered. His expression was flat and hard to read, but the warning gleam in his eyes let her know that he was in no mood for any shenanigans. "So we're gonna need you to come with us."

Paige's eyes widened – the last thing she wanted to do was go somewhere with Anthony and Marcus, especially if they were going to take her to their boss. But before she could try to find a way out of it, Anthony quirked an eyebrow and took a menacing step toward her. "I'd cooperate if I was you, Ms. Collins." He told her in a low tone, as though he'd read her mind and knew what she was thinking. "If you don't come with us willingly, then we'll gave to use force…and trust me, that won't be very fun for you."

Trying hard not to tremble with fear, Paige jerkily nodded her head. "Okay." She said. "I'll go. Just…let me get some shoes on."

As soon as Paige had slipped on some shoes and grabbed her keys, Anthony and Marcus ushered her out of her house and led her towards a beat up mustang parked just outside her townhouse. Without putting up a struggle - and praying that none of her nosy neighbors were watching - she got in the backseat and watched wordlessly as Anthony and Marcus settled themselves in the front two seats. Then, as she sat on her shaking hands in attempt to hide her fear from the two men, they were driving away from her townhouse…

About thirty horribly uncomfortable minutes later, they pulled up to an old warehouse located in the back of a no-longer-in-use chemical plant on the edge of town. Paige glanced around warily as they all climbed out of the car, then continued towards the warehouse when Marcus impatiently herded her in that direction.

The place seemed empty once they were finally inside the warehouse – the air was stuffy with abandonment and full of all sorts of old, rusted parts and equipment. Anthony led the way, directing her toward the back of the warehouse, and it was only after they rounded a large dusty pile of wooden boxes that she finally saw the man she was being taken to. Edmond. He was a forty-something man with a round belly and a head of grey hair. He was the head hancho, the man in charge, the one who had actually physically handed her the money that she had borrowed. And when she came into view, he didn't even bother to stand from the chair he was sitting in, nor did he stop puffing on his cigar – Paige spotted a pair of chains hanging from the ceiling nearby and took a moment to eye them warily, not sure she wanted to know what they were about to be used for.

"Hello again, Ms. Collins." Edmond greeted once she was standing in front of him. Marcus and Anthony went to stand on either side of his chair, each staring at her unblinkingly.

"Edmond." Paige said in return, eyes turning to the chains again.

"I trust you've been well?" He asked next, as though they were just a pair of old friends catching up.

Paige gulped. "I've been alright, thank you."

Edmond nodded, stared at her for a long moment, then took another puff from his cigar. "I'd ask if you knew why you were here…but I think you know very well what's going on." He said slowly, getting right down to the point. His tone was calm, but the frown turning down the corners of his mouth suggested he was anything but. "I gave you three months to pay back the money you owe me, Ms. Collins. Three." He continued. "Now that three months has come and gone and we haven't seen a penny from you yet." Something flashed through his eyes for a second. "When exactly were you planning to pay up?"

Paige glanced back and forth between the three of them, her heart beating wildly. Paige had known that her gambling problem would come back to bite her on the rear end someday, and that day had finally come. If only she hadn't been so naïve to think that her problems would just go away. If only she had pushed her own pride to the side and told somebody about her inner demons. If only she had money to make all of this go away. "I…I was going to pay, I promise." She told them, beginning to very much fear for her own safety – what if they killed her because she hadn't paid them back by the time she said she would? "I just…I don't get paid much at my job." Paige continued, cringing when she heard how poor the excuse sounded. "I've been trying to save up but I have bills to pay and things to take care of and…"

Paige trailed off when she saw the unfeeling, unsympathetic expressions on the faces of the three men in front of her. "So you're saying that you have none of the money that you owe me then, is that it?" Edmond asked, setting his cigar down in the ashtray resting on the arm of the chair before folding his hands together in his lap. A dangerous glint had entered his eyes, one that made her spine stiffen and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I'm s-s-sorry." She stuttered out. "I don't have it yet." Paige admitted before quickly adding, "But I can get it! I know I can!" She told them, hoping they believed her but knowing deep down that they wouldn't. "Just give me a little bit more time!"

"My boss has already given you plenty of time." Anthony interjected, making her fall silent. "You're the one who failed to deliver." He then snapped, losing his cool for a minute.

Edmond held up a hand to silence him – Paige, who was shaking like a leaf by this point, pressed her lips together and resisted the urge to cry out of pure, unadulterated fear. A few beats of silence passed before Edmond spoke up again. "Ms. Collins, what my esteemed colleague is trying to say is that I have tried to be patient." He said in a measured tone. "But my patience has worn thin." He sent a pointed glare in her direction. "I want my money – and I want you to tell me how you intend to get it."

When Paige said nothing for a long few seconds, Marcus suddenly chortled a bit and smirked. "I've got an idea. Why don't you ask that vampire you've been seeing for the money?" He suggested, making her blood immediately run cold. "Or even better, maybe we can go to him to ask him ourselves." He added, the smile on his face a cruel one.

Bile rose up in Paige's throat – how did they know about Eric? Had they been following her? "Oh yeah, we know about that Viking boyfriend of yours." Anthony piped up, clearly enjoying her obvious fright. "You know, you really should be more careful about who you're seen with when you're involved in situations like these." He added with a smirk.

"No." Paige said at once, shaking her head vehemently. "He isn't a part of this. I'll get you the money, I swear it, but just…please. Please leave him out of this." She pleaded, horrified by the thought of them even being anywhere near Eric. "He's not involved."

Edmond eyed her with scrutiny, taking in her reaction. "If he's involved with you, he's involved in this." He suddenly said, trying to sound regretful but looking anything but.

Paige watched, heart pounding against her ribs, as Edmond then beckoned Marcus closer and gave him some instructions that she couldn't quite hear from where she was standing – Marcus nodded, motioned for Anthony to follow him, then both men headed off towards the far side of the warehouse and disappeared into the shadows. She had no idea what they were doing but her body started to fill with fear anyway – she chanced a look toward Edmond and saw him watching her steadily, like a predator surveying its prey.

When Anthony and Marcus returned, they did not return alone. They were dragging a figure whose face was concealed by the black bag fixed over his head. Paige's initial fear was that it was Eric, that they had somehow managed to capture him, but she quickly deduced that it was someone else – no way was the figure tall enough or muscled enough to be her Viking. She still wasn't sure what was going on or who they had, though, so she watched in silence as Marcus and Anthony dragged the stranger to the two hanging chains, secured the cuffs dangling from the ends around each of his wrists, then, once he was hanging from the chains, pulled the sack off his head.

Paige didn't recognize the man – or rather, vampire. He had dark hair that brushed his shoulders and eerily pale skin, and it was obvious as she looked him over that he had been suffering through some kind of torture recently. She frowned and looked back to Edmond in confusion, not sure she knew what was going on or why they had this vampire.

Edmond stood from his seat and took a few steps closer to the vampire. "Do you know who this is, Ms. Collins?" He asked, pointing to the semi-conscious vampire.

Paige shook her head. "No."

Edmond nodded. "Well, this is Will – or Willelmus, as his parents named him." He informed her. "He is nearly seven hundred years old. Not quite as old or powerful as your lover, but a very powerful vampire indeed." He then made a thoughtful noise as he regarded the weak vampire. "Not strong enough to fight us off though, it seems…"

Up until that moment she hadn't understood why they were showing her this stranger they'd been holding captive. But quite suddenly, as though struck by lightening, she understood – clearly they had the power and the resources to get their hands on powerful vampires; if she didn't get the money, the next vampire to hang from these chains could be Eric.

As though he could read her mind, Edmond smirked. "I think you're starting to see the picture here, Ms. Collins." He said, wagging a finger at her. "Smart girl – naïve and foolish, but sharp nonetheless." When he closed the distance between them and came to stand in front of her, eyes narrowing threateningly, she had to resist the urge to take a step back. "You will get me my money, Ms. Collins, there are no two ways about that." Edmond informed her matter-of-factly. "Because if you don't..." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Your Viking will die."

Fear like she'd never known before shot through her. And feeling absolutely at a loss for words, she could nothing but stare at Edmond for a long moment before turning her eyes over to the vampire hanging only some ten feet away. Marcus and Anthony, who were standing on either side of their captive, sneered back at her. She didn't want to believe that they would be able to kidnap Eric – he was old and strong and more than capable of protecting himself, right? – but the fact that they had someone nearly as old and powerful already in their grasps left her with some serious doubts.

Suddenly, she was angry – angry at the three thugs for what they were threatening her with, angry with herself for allowing the situation to come to this. Tears formed in her eyes, both in her fury and her terror that these men would have the audacity to threaten Eric's life in such a way, but Paige ignored the water trying to cloud her gaze and glared at them, her hands shaking by her sides. "Eric is strong." She told them furiously. "You wouldn't stand a chance against him."

Marcus outright laughed at that. "Is that right?" He asked in obvious amusement – Edmond and Anthony, however, were looked at her with narrowed eyes, displeased with her attitude. "That's what our buddy Will here thought, too." He continued, sauntering towards her threateningly. "But we've got a lot of people workin' for us, girly. People that dislike vampires just as much as we do and are just chompin' at the bit to drive a stake through one of 'em. People that would also be glad to help us out." His words made her press her lips together tightly. "It would be no problem at all to take care of your boyfriend." Marcus taunted. "On the contrary, it would be a pleasure."

A single tear went sliding down her cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away. "He'll kill you when he finds out about all of this." She snapped at them bitterly.

"Then I hope he's prepared for the war that'll come afterwards – once our very loyal business associates learn of our deaths at his hands…" Edmond rebutted, his tone completely serious. He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to – the threat was very clear.

Paige closed her eyes and shook her head – how could this have happened? How could she have let herself and now Eric, the one person she'd tried so desperately to hide all of this from, get tied into this mess? And the worst part was that she knew she couldn't tell him. Paige knew his temper and knew that the instant he learned someone had threatened both her life and his that he would go after them and start a war. Paige felt helpless, like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

When Edmond started speaking again, she finally opened her eyes and met his gaze again. "Get me my money or watch your boyfriend die." Was his final ultimatum. "It's as simple as that, Ms. Collins."

When she finally nodded her understanding, Edmond nodded his head once in approval before motioning for Anthony and Marcus to take her away. They moved toward her and began ushering her back out the warehouse, but before they'd even made it ten steps Edmond called out them. "And one more thing…"

Paige turned around just in time to see Edmond suddenly wield a weapon that looked very much like a crossbow, only instead of shooting arrows it was shooting silver stakes. She watched, eyes wide with horror, as he pointed it at Willelmus and then pulled the trigger – when the stake imbedded itself into Willelmus' chest the vampire wailed with anguish, but the sound only lasted for a fraction of a second before his entire body suddenly exploded. Paige pressed a hand over her mouth and turned her eyes away, trying hard not to vomit after watching the vampire's bloody demise. When she finally felt brave enough to look again, she could see mounds of flesh and blood all over the warehouse floor where Willelmus had formerly been.

Edmond raised his eyebrows at her, looking entirely unaffected by what he'd just done. "You have two weeks."

Paige nodded numbly, unable to produce a vocal response. Edmond waved a hand after that, which had Marcus and Anthony both wrapping a hand around either of her arms before leading her out of the warehouse and away from the ghastly, gruesome remains of Willelmus the vampire.

The ride home was spent in complete and utter silence, Paige doing nothing but staring blankly at the scenery as it jumped past the window.

Because of her problems, because of her poor decision making, Eric's life was now on the line. If she didn't get the money to Edmond and his cronies within two weeks, Eric would be at the mercy of the cruel crooks – and after seeing what they had done to Willelmus, Paige had no doubt that he would be in serious trouble if that were to happen. What was she going to do? How would she get the money? How could she save the vampire that she loved from a gruesome death if she couldn't get what she owed Edmond in time? And what if they went after him anyway, just to prove a point of some sort?

The words came flooding back to her in a heartbeat – As long as he's involved with you, he's involved with this.

And it was then, as Paige pressed a hand over her mouth and choked back a rising sob, that she knew what she had to do. It wasn't something she wanted to do – it was possible that going through with it would end up destroying her – but it seemed the only option available to make sure Eric went on living, to protect him from these thugs.

She had to leave him, make the crooks believe that they were no longer involved. It was the only way to make sure he was safe, that nothing would happen to him. And she would have to do it soon.

They finally reached her home some time later, but Paige was hardly even aware of her own actions as she shakily climbed out of the car and stumbled toward her front door, nor did she really even hear the mocking, condescending goodbye's that Anthony and Marcus called out to her – she was too numb, her heart too destroyed by the knowledge of what she was going to have to do to pay attention to anything else. The moment she crossed over the threshold of her house and shut the door behind her, only distantly aware of the rumbling engine of Anthony's car as the two cronies drove away, Paige's knees finally gave way and she collapsed on the floor.

Then, as she dropped her face into her hands, she broke down in raucous, anguished sobs.

Two days after her meeting with Edmond and his cronies, Paige could be found standing outside of the vampire nightclub Fangtasia with a deep frown on her face. She gulped as she stared up at the large sign before closing her eyes, her heart throbbing painfully as she tried to find the courage to go inside. Even though it was barely five o'clock Paige knew Eric was inside, because she'd sent him a message the day before informing him that she'd be coming to speak with him about something very important and wished to meet with him at the club. Yet now that she was actually there and about to do the hardest thing she'd ever done, Paige wasn't sure she'd be able to go through with it. Eric had no idea what was about to happen, had no clue that she was about to end things between them when she so very desperately didn't want to. Dread like she had never known before was taking her over, making her throat constrict and her heart feel as heavy as an anvil.

The phrase 'you never know what you have until it's gone' suddenly flashed across her mind. With the impending end of their romance hovering just on the horizon, Paige found that all of her petty fears about love and relationships suddenly were non-existent – where she had been uncertain before whether her and Eric's love could truly stand the test of time and had fretted over everything working against them, none of that seemed to matter anymore. Paige knew, with perfect clarity, that Eric was the love of her life, knew that she would have done absolutely anything for him, would have given him the moon if he'd asked her for it…

But now he was in danger. Paige had gotten (and delivered) some of the money that she owed to the loan sharks, but she couldn't risk Eric's life should she fail to pay them back in full, nor could she risk Edmond and his men going back on their word and going after him anyway. Though a risk-taker when it came to laying a bet, Eric's life was something she was absolutely never going to gamble with. Edmond had said it himself – as long as Eric was involved with her he wasn't going to be safe. And as much as it was going to destroy her to say goodbye, it was the deep, unyielding love that she had for him and her need to protect him that reminded her why she had to do what she was about to.

Not for the first time, Paige found herself wishing she had reacted better to his proposition of turning her, that they had never argued so that their last week together would have been blissful instead of dreadful. And, also not for the first time, she wished she'd told Eric about her gambling problem, that she had just been honest from the very beginning. Then they might have avoided this mess altogether and she wouldn't be standing here now just moments away from breaking his heart. She'd lost count of how many times she had cried, couldn't even think of the words to properly describe the feeling that overtook her every time she thought about the fact that she and Eric would soon be over. Paige loved Eric so much that it physically hurt her to think about a life without him in it…but there was nothing that she could do now except what was best for the vampire that she loved. She had made her choices, she had made her mistakes, and now she had to deal with the consequences.

Knowing that it would only make things more difficult if she continued to stall, Paige finally took a deep breath and walked around to the side door, slipping the spare key he'd given her into the lock and letting herself into the bar. A few workers that she recognized by face and name were loitering around and taking their time prepping the bar for the night to come. They greeted her with smiles and waves, which she returned half-heartedly before walking past and heading straight for Eric's office near the back of the building.

Once she was inside his office Paige closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, having to take a moment to suck in a steady breath. Since it was still fairly early and she'd arrived a little ahead of schedule, the office was empty and Eric was nowhere in sight yet – seeing as the door to his room was shut, though, Paige could guess that he was probably still in his private quarters, possibly even still sleeping. She placed a hand over her heart, trying to calm down, and closed her eyes for a moment.

She had to do this. It was for his safety, Paige reminded herself.

After a few moments Paige managed to drag herself to his door, opening it just wide enough to accommodate her body so that only a minimal amount of sunlight would filter into his room as she slipped inside. As the darkness of his bedroom engulfed her, Paige's hand fumbled blindly for the light switch on the wall by the door. She clicked it on, dim light filling the room, and her eyes immediately were drawn to where Eric was, as predicted, still in bed asleep. Though he normally looked peaceful while he slept, now his eyebrows were furrowed together and there was a frown on his face, making stress lines appear on his forehead and around his mouth – the bedsheets were tangled around his body too and the pillows were askew, as though he'd wrestled to get to sleep.

Paige bit back a sob and pressed a hand over her mouth, willing herself to get her emotions under better control. After a few seconds, she slowly walked over to the bed, knowing he would soon wake now that the light was on. She studied him closely as she sank down onto the bed near his feet, memorizing every detail of his beautiful face and torso as he slept on, knowing it would probably be the last time she would get to. After today it was unlikely that he would ever gaze at her in that warm, loving way that turned her to mush, that he would show her the same love that he had in the past six months. After it was all said in done, Eric Northman would probably never want to see her again.

"Have you come all this way just to stare at me?" Eric suddenly asked, his voice hoarse, though whether that was with sleep or emotion she wasn't sure. His eyes had been closed when he'd asked the question, but when he finally opened them they were filled with guilt and regret; Paige felt her heart twist violently. "I do not know what you have come to say, but nevertheless I am glad that you are here." He told her softly, reaching a hand out to her.

As badly as she wanted to, Paige didn't place her hand in his. She closed her eyes for a moment when his expression shifted to that of confusion, hating herself more and more with each passing second, before opening them again to stare at him in firm resolution.

"We need to talk, Eric." Paige said, trying to make herself sound as distant and unfeeling as she could. She had to make this as cold and convincing as possible; if she didn't, if Eric thought there was any possibility that she might still love him, she knew that he wouldn't let her go, that he would fight for her. Paige couldn't let that happen. Not if she wanted him to be safe. "Like I said, it's important."

Eric's expression shifted to an indecipherable one, but he still nodded and slowly sat up in bed, eyes trained on her intently. "I'm listening." He stated slowly, waiting to hear what she had come all this way to say.

They stared at each other for a long few seconds in complete and utter silence, until Paige finally sucked in a deep breath and then released it heavily. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it…" She started slowly, unable to tear her eyes away from him even though she didn't want to see his reaction to what she was about to say – Eric's eyes widened a bit and she saw him gulp uneasily, one of his hands fisting the sheets. Paige was fairly certain that he had figured out where this conversation was headed. "We can't be together anymore, Eric."

"No." Eric countered immediately, the sharpness of his tone making Paige flinch a bit. "No." He repeated himself, this time his tone filled with disbelief. "You do not mean that." He continue quickly, shaking his head, refusing to believe that she'd come to break up with him.

"I do." Paige lied, her heart beginning to ache as she watched him process her words – his shoulders were starting to tremble as he stared at her, the expression on his face utterly heartbreaking. "Eric, we're just…we're two very different people going in two very different directions. This isn't going to work and I think we both knew that from the very beginning." She said, deliver the speech that she had rehearsed countless times on the drive from Texas to Louisiana. "We need to end it now before we become any more involved than we already are. It's what's best."

Eric shook his head vehemently. "How can it be the best when we are no longer together?" He asked, trying to change her mind just as she had expected him to. When Eric scooted closer and reached out for her Paige got to her feet to put more space between them, knowing that if he touched or kissed her that her resolve would crumble. The move made Eric wince as though she had physically struck him. "Is it because I pressured you into giving up your mortality?" He asked next, trying to understand what had brought on the decision. "If yes then you can remain mortal, I care not." Eric state urgently. "Nothing has to change. We can keep everything the way that it is."

Paige shook her head firmly, taking another step backward when Eric reached for her again. "I'm sorry, but we can't."

"Paige…" Eric state slowly, his eyes pleading with her to reconsider. "Please. Do not do this."

"Eric, what we had was a dream." She said with a helpless shrug, trying hard conceal the toll this was taking on her heart. "But now it's time to wake up and face reality." She continued, forcing an unfeeling expression onto her face. "I will never want to be a vampire, and you asking me to become one has finally made me see things clearly." Paige lied again. "I can't give you what you want, Eric. I just…can't do it." Then she paused, having to find the courage to say her next words. "I don't want be with you anymore, Eric."

Eric stared at her for a long moment in silence, absorbing her stinging words. Then, to her surprise, blood suddenly began to seep out of the corners of his eyes before streaking down his pale cheeks – it took her a moment, but she finally realized that he was crying.

Suddenly he was on his feet and dashing across the room to smash a book case, making Paige jump and press a hand over her mouth in shock. "How can this be?" He growled furiously without facing her again, heaving as he stared down at the wreckage of the demolished furniture. "I just don't understand!" Then he turned back to her, his cheeks stained with blood but the expression on his face suddenly one of fierce determination. "I will fight for you, you know this. I won't let you do this, Paige – I won't let you run." He said resolutely. "I love you and you love me. We can make this work!"

Paige gulped and then slowly shook her head. "No, we can't." She gulped and caught her breath, her next words only the slightest bit easier to say because they were the only true words she'd spoken so far. "And I don't want you fighting for me." Because if he fought for her, he would still be in danger. It had to be a clean break, it was the only way to protect him. "I'm sorry…but it's over, Eric."

Eric stared at her for a long moment, then began shaking as the determination on his features melted to a combination of overwhelming sadness and fury. "You lied to me." He snarled. "You have lied to me this entire time!" He yelled next, his anger beginning to take over. "A week ago you sat there and told me you had no desire to leave me, yet here you are running!" Eric reminded her, his accusatory tone cutting right down to her core. "Did you ever love me?" He asked, stalking toward her and making her tense out of fear. "Did you?" Eric demanded.

Paige bit back a sob, choking on her next words because they would be the worst lie that she had ever – and would ever – tell in her entire life. "I thought I did…" She said slowly. "But I can't pretend anymore." Then, though it felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces, Paige shook her head. "I…don't love you. I don't know if I ever truly did."

She hated herself so much, absolutely despised everything about her own self, but only managed to stay strong after firmly reminding herself that she was doing this for his own good, that she was doing this to save his life. But when she saw the look of utter betrayal on his face, saw the blood start to run down his cheeks even faster, Paige couldn't even bring herself to look at him anymore – she couldn't bear to watch the damage that she was inflicting on the only person she had ever been in love with; the only person she would ever be in love with.

"Get out." Eric finally growled, breaking the icy silence that had fallen between them. "Get out of my sight you heartless, conniving, duplicitous whore!" He spat at her, making her back away in fright when he suddenly, effortlessly picked up his bed and threw it against the wall, smashing the frame into tiny splinters – she was surprised it didn't go through the wall. "Get out!" Eric roared in pure rage when she lingered for too long, the blood running down his cheeks in a steady stream now as he lost control about himself completely.

Paige turned and stumbled out of his bedroom as he started to rip it to shreds, the sounds of smashing furniture and his anguished roars almost deafening. She managed to make her way out to the bar, all of the workers in the main lounge staring at his office door with concerned looks on their face. They immediately began to question her, wanting to know what had happened, but Paige ran past them, no longer able to stay in the building and listen to Eric's anger and anguish. Blindly, she set her key to Fangtasia on the bar counter and pushed out of the side door, hurrying to her car.

As soon as she was in the driver's seat and had slammed the door closed, she dropped her forehead onto the steering wheel and broke into fresh sobs, feeling like her heart had just been torn right out of her chest and then stomped on repeatedly until it was reduced to nothing but blood colored jelly on the floor. Paige felt worthless, felt heartless. She had never wanted to hurt Eric, ever. And she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with him…but now she wouldn't be able to. He would never take her back after everything she had said, would never want to see her again after today. They were finished. Over. She had lost the love of her life.

And she only had herself to blame.

Thoughts?