a/n: on to the next chapter! thanks for reviewing guys!

Chapter 8

It had been three days since Pam took Eric out of the hospital. I knew he did not really need to be here. It was actually a bit strange she left her brother here for so long. However I found I missed him, even more than I thought I would. It felt like a piece of my life was missing. When I had gone to work yesterday it felt empty and I wandered around aimlessly once I finished my tasks for the day.

Today I had the day off and it was not much better. Even though I was at home my mind still wandered to Eric every five minutes. Where was he? Was Pam treating him well? Did he remember his life? Did he forget me?

There was a knock on the door and I got off the couch to answer it. I swung the door open and Jason was standing there.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" It was 11 AM.

"Yea, I think I left my hardhat here the other day though. I need it for a bridge job this afternoon." Jason explained.

"Ah, you did. One sec" I headed to the kitchen and grabbed the bright orange hardhat. "There you go. Be safe out there."

Jason took the hardhat and eyed me. "You alright Sook? You look a little tired."

"I'm fine..." I did not have much explanation for him. I missed my patient who I was sort of dating?

"Did something happen? I know you said you ain't seeing anyone but I could tell you were lying." He put his hardhat on backwards then put his hands on his hips. He really looked like a doofus.

"I was just talking to someone, but things ended before they could get started. I don't really want to get into the details." There that was true. I did not enjoy lying to Jason. He was my brother and he was trying to be a better one.

"Alright, well he's an idiot for messing up. You're probably too good for him anyway Sook." Jason patted my shoulder then was out the door. He hopped into his pickup with the hideous aqua and pink stripes down the side and rumbled down the driveway. I shut the door and smiled a little. Sometimes I really liked having a brother.

I was about to sit down when there was another knock on the door.

"Jason, what did you forget now?!" I headed back across my living room to answer the front door.

I swung the door open and my jaw dropped.

Instead of my brother standing there it was Eric's hulking frame. He took up all of the space in the small doorway. Instead of the pajama pants I was used to seeing him in, he had on black jeans and a dark grey t-shirt. They both looked quite expensive and as if they were perfectly tailored to fit him. My eyes slowly traveled up and I was comforted to see his blonde hair was still hanging down just above his eyes.

"Sookie?" He seemed unsure and was fidgeting. I realized I had not said anything.

"Hi" I was in a bit of shock. How did he leave? How did he find me?

"Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course" I stepped aside and Eric slowly walked in. He was looking around and seemed to be inspecting everything.

"How did you find me?" I had only given him my phone number and name.

"You told me you lived in this town awhile ago. So I came to Bon Temps and asked around. People are surprisingly open about giving out your address."

"Really?"

"I might have told them I was a good friend from college." He looked a bit bashful now and tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, that makes sense then. People around here don't question much." We were a small town and people were used to being honest and not having to worry about thieves and killers.

We stood there in awkward silence for a bit. I was happy to see him but there were so many questions. "Do you remember anything?"

"No" He was staring down at his shoes, which were black leather. Those must be his real clothes. I guess Eric did live an expensive life it seemed.

"So... what are you doing here? Where's Pam?" I figured he would be with his sister until his memories returned.

"It's... I..." Eric seemed to be getting nervous now. "I don't really like her. She is different and not in a good way. I had to come here now because it was safe."

He was freaking me out. "What do you mean safe?"

"Pam only comes out at night. She sleeps all day, so this was my chance to get away." Did she work the night shift somewhere? Or maybe she had a disorder where she needed to avoid sunlight?

"But why is she dangerous? Eric what's going on?" I asked, maybe he found out more about his real life.

"I don't want you to think I'm crazy." He said quietly and wouldn't meet my eyes.

I stepped over to him and put my hands on his forearms. "Eric look at me" His eyes slowly met mine. "I'm not going to think you're crazy. I know you're not." I had been around him enough to know that.

Eric took a deep breath before he started to explain. "I don't know exactly what Pam is involved in but I think it's bad. She took me to this closed down bar and led me down into the basement, she said I could sleep there." He looked damn freaked out as he explained. "It looked like a torture chamber or something. There were chains on the walls and steel cuffs. I saw blood stains on the floor and a coffin in the corner." His eyes were full of desperation. "I couldn't stay and you were the only person I could think of. I trust you."

Holy shit. So Pam might be some crazy axe murderer and apparently Eric might be her accomplice? If she was so open about all of that with him I suspected he was a part of it when he used to have memories.

"Please don't call Pam or the cops Sookie. I don't want to be a part of that life. I know I might have been before but I don't remember it. I want to be a good person." Eric was begging me to help him. My heart was breaking a little at his words. Pam brought him back to his life but he did not want it anymore.

"Okay..." Was I really agreeing to this? I supposed this was not a crime. Eric was an adult so Pam could not force him to be anywhere. He could go where he pleased. But I did worry about what kind of criminal shit I might be getting into. Pam would look for him. However I could not just turn him away. Eric did not want the life he had, he wanted to be someone better, how could I deny him that?

Pushing him back to Pam seemed cruel and leaving him on his own seemed almost as bad. He had no memories and no job that we knew of. He would not survive on his own right away.

"Thank you" I was engulfed in a giant hug from Eric. I was careful to not touch his back too much. I'm sure the cuts were still sore.

"How is your back?" Dealing with something simple like that seemed good right now.

"I don't know, I haven't looked at it since you patched me up." He shrugged.

"What? Doesn't Pam know to check on wounds? Does she think you're Superman or something...geez." She was a shit sister.

I ushered Eric to sit down on the couch and I pulled his shirt up. After peeling away one of the bandages I was not pleased to see the cut looked slightly infected. Ugh, stupid Pam. Eric kept still while I cleaned all of the cuts again before putting on fresh bandages. He was probably going to have some small scars from that.

"There, all set until tomorrow." I pulled his shirt back down and started putting my first aid kit away.

"Sookie?" Eric was looking up at me.

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay with you?" The poor guy looked so nervous as he asked. Did he really think I was going to say no? Saying yes to helping him meant giving him a place to sleep. I was not going to make him go stay in the only motel Bon Temps had. The place was dirty and crawling with cheap hookers.

"Of course" I gave him a small smile then headed to the bathroom to put things away.

When I returned Eric was in the kitchen. "Did you buy this house?"

"No it used to be my Gran's. I grew up here and when she passed away I inherited it." Eric only knew the work me. He did know some details of my life but I realized there was a lot he missed out on by only seeing me in that environment.

"Oh, that's too bad about your Grandmother." The response seemed robotic but I didn't mind. I never expected people to say sorry every time I mentioned her.

"It's okay she lived a full life. Want to sit outside?" It was a bright and sunny day. I led Eric out the back door to where I had a lawn chair set up in my backyard. I grabbed a second one and set it up next to mine.

We sat down in the chairs and already I could feel the warmth of the sun seeping into my skin. Eric's hand immediately found mine. I looked over at him and he seemed more relaxed. He was leaning back in the chair and the sun was forcing him to squint a little to see.

"What are your plans Eric?" I had no idea what to do. I could let him stay here but other than that, I had no clue how to help.

"I don't know." He seemed perplexed and just as confused as me. "I was with Pam and I felt like I didn't belong there. Besides all of her freaky stuff, I didn't feel like I fit in there. I just kept missing you."

That was not much of an explanation but for now it was enough. "I missed you too."

After that we were quiet and just sat outside in the sun for hours.

The rest of the day passed by normally and without visitors. That was for the best since I did not know how to introduce Eric yet. I did not know what he was to me or how to explain him living in my house. I'd have to tell Jason eventually. That much was for sure. Evening rolled around and I just ordered pizza for Eric and I.

We were sitting on the couch watching a movie when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Eric got up and so did I to get some money.

But when I got back the door was shut and he was sitting on the couch with the pizza on the coffee table.

"Didn't he want his money?"

"I paid for it." He answered casually and started opening the box.

"Um, how?" I had no idea if he had any money or brought things with him from Pam's.

"Pam gave me my wallet when I was with her. It had $1000 in it, so I used some of it." Eric shrugged.

"What? That's a lot of money Eric." I don't think he understood just how much money that was, especially to have in cash.

"I guess, but it's mine, and the least I can do is pay for the pizza." Eric was not bothered by the money and he did not seem to be worrying about where it came from. How did he earn it? Or steal it...

"Ok" I did not want to ruin the night by questioning something we would not find answers to anytime soon.

I scurried out to the kitchen and filled two glasses with soda. Pizza was something I had to have a soda with, anything else just tasted strange. Eric was grinning like an idiot when I placed the soda in front of him.

"Is this what you always eat at home?"

"Hell no, I'd be fat as a cow if I did that." I wondered if he even liked pizza. We were about to find out.

Eric took a bit of his pepperoni pizza and chewed with concentration. Then he took another bite, and another, then was done with the slice. I guess he liked it...

"This is great. Why didn't the hospital make this?" Eric was stuffing the second slice into his mouth.

I was trying not to laugh too hard. "Because it's unhealthy food. All of this grease and cheese isn't exactly good for you."

"But it tastes so good!"

"I know" I chuckled and finally ate my own pizza.

We were disrupted when the door bell rang. It had just become dark outside so I couldn't see who it was through the window. I got up and headed to the door. I opened it and was greeted with a very disgruntled face.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Pam's angry glare was first directed at me but then quickly shifted to Eric.

a/n: in this chapter I totally was picturing them holding hands like those people in the Viagra-type commercials. The ones sitting in separate bathtubs but they're holdings hands haha. Except these two have some quality Wal-Mart lawn chairs. =P