Sookie's POV:

"Please, sit down. You must be exhausted after your ordeal," the handsome stranger said.

I sat down at the table and looked around the one room cabin. There were old maps and tapestries on the wall. On the far end was a double-sized bed and on the right of that was a bathtub with no plumbing attached. There was a sofa that had a blanket over it. It looked very comfortable to relax in front of with a good book. In front of the sofa was a fireplace. I looked around more and noticed the room was illuminated by candles and the fireplace.

No electricity, I thought to myself. The other strange thing that I noticed was the absence of a kitchen. Maybe it was in another cabin or he cooked his food another way? Or he was something else…

I gulped and was feeling scared again. Not only did I not know who I was or where I was, I was with a stranger. Perhaps, a dangerous stranger.

I thought about bolting out the door, but I had no idea where I was or how far I could get to signs of civilization. The walk to this cabin from the lake was dark. I didn't see any other buildings, homes, or roads. We were in the middle of nowhere. Did this man kidnap me? Did he knock me out so bad that I now had amnesia?

Oh my god! I must've met him tonight and was so blown away by his looks that I didn't realize he was some sort of kidnapper. That must be how I came to be here.

I could feel an anxiety attack coming on as I gripped my chest and began to heave.

He gave me a worried look and stood up from his chair and in a blur, he was gone. A couple seconds later, he returned with a cup of water in his hand.

"This water comes from a spring source, it is safe to drink," he said.

"What the fuuuuuu…." I said before I passed out.

"Sookie… Sookie…."

I could hear someone whispering into my ear. I couldn't place the voice with his face, but I knew it was familiar to me. It was almost like coming home…. almost….

I began to open my eyes as I came to. In front of me was the man whom I just met.

"What happened?" I asked groggily.

"You fainted," he replied.

I started patting myself to see if I was still dressed and I was. I lifted my head and all of a sudden felt dizzy.

"Perhaps you should drink. It is water," he said. "I also went to the nearest store and bought some food while you were unconscious. I have never been in a grocery store before, so I chose items I thought would suppress my hunger if I ate," he said.

I must've been staring at him in a strange way.

"You do know about us?" he said quizzically with a raised eyebrow.

"You are a vampire," I stated. It was almost like my part of my memory was coming back to me. I suddenly realized that vampires did exist in the world. I tried to remember who I was but that was still blank.

"Yes," he said. "Perhaps I should introduce myself again."

He grabbed one of the chairs and sat on it, while I continued to lay on the bed.

"I am Marius," he said.

"Hello," I said hesitantly. "I am…. I am…" He had told me what my name was earlier.

"You are Sookie," he said.

"Oh," I answered back. "Do you know me?"

"I met you briefly long ago," Marius answered.

"Do you know how I got here?" I asked quickly. It was hard not knowing who I was. I knew I was an American. I could name all the states in my head. I looked at one of the maps on the wall and could read it. It said British Columbia. I knew I couldn't be from British Columbia.

"You smell of magick," he said. "Powerful magick."

"What?" I said, getting more confused by the minute. So, there were vampires, witches, and humans? Was I a witch?

"I believe you were cursed by a powerful witch. Someone wanted to cause you harm, but for whatever reason, I do not think they anticipated this happening. They did not expect you to end up here," he responded.

"Do you know where my home is?" I asked him.

"No, I do not," he said.

"But you just said you knew me," I said rather harshly. I was irritated. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out to try and calm down my negative emotions. I took a large gulp of the water he gave me. I didn't realize how thirsty I was, until after I drank the last drop.

"My son did not know where you were from when he met you. He told me later that you disappeared soon after, claiming to be a time traveler," he said. "I talked to you on a rooftop in Stockholm, back in 1978, over thirty years ago."

He leaned forward as if to scrutinize me more closely. "For a vampire, 1978 was not too long ago, but for humans, it is almost a lifetime ago. You look and seem different from our first meeting, perhaps you are a time traveler. I have lived on this earth for over two and a half thousand years and have never known one. But there is something different about you."

I had noticed a mirror near the bathtub. I scrambled off the bed to look at myself. I started touching and feeling my face and hair. I would probably be in my 50s, give or take, if he was telling me the truth that he met me over 30 years ago. I didn't look over 50. I was guessing I was in my early 20s, so maybe I was some sort of time traveler, which seemed absurd to me. Either he was crazy or I was or we both were.

I looked back at him and he was now standing by the table getting some food out of bags.

I walked over to see what he had. There was some crackers and bread, varieties of food in jars, fruits and vegetables, as well as peanut butter. He said that he did not have a fridge or freezer and purchased items that would not spoil.

I made a peanut butter sandwich and ate it quietly.

After I ate, we sat down in the front of the fireplace.

"So, you really don't know a thing about me," I said, sounding pitiful and desperate. I wanted to cry. Even though I had no idea who my family and friends were, I was missing them deeply. It also felt like there was a huge piece of my heart that was out there somewhere.

He placed his hand over mine. Tears started to fill my eyes as I looked at him.

"Do not worry Sookie. Everything will be alright," he said in a gentle tone.

He had this calming effect over me as he began to rub my hand. I could feel my eyelids starting to get heavy and fatigue was starting to set in. I began yawning.

"You can sleep on the bed," Marius said to me. "No harm will come to you tonight."

I nodded and went to go lie down. I was still in my white t-shirt that said Merlotte's and my black pants. I kicked off my shoes and went to go lie down.

He brought me a blanket and placed it over me.

"Where are you going to sleep?" I asked. I wasn't sure about sharing a bed with him, no matter how gorgeous this man was.

"I have a safe place I rest in during the day that is not far from here," Marius replied.

Though I was glad we weren't going to be bunking together, I didn't want to be alone.

"Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked.

He nodded and went to grab the chair to sit beside me. I held out my hand to him and he held it. My eyelids were starting to become much heavier, as I fell asleep holding his hand.

Eric's POV:

I paced the old porch of the Compton house. Pam, Armand, and Chow came out from the woods.

"We checked everywhere, there is no trace of Sookie," Pam said as she began smoothing out her skirt.

Fuck! I knew that she was not with the witches.

I probed my bond with Sookie for the hundredth time but again came up with nothing. It was like as though something was blocking it. I could sense that she was still alive, but I could not track her nor feel her emotions. I started worrying that she may have been sent to another dimension.

The witches had placed a powerful spell on Sookie and the only way to break it was to find them or find a witch with similar strength. I closed my eyes and recalled a place in Shreveport where we had battled them when I was the one who was cursed with amnesia. It was one of Sookie's memories of us together that she projected to me.

"We must go to Shreveport," I said.

We reached the house where the witches had set up their base from the previous timeline. We crept into the backdoor for a surprise attack but there was no one there. There were no traces of anyone or signs that it had been habituated. I walked out of the house and looked around the neighborhood. Obviously in this timeline, the coven was camped out somewhere else.

I did not think that they were holding Sookie captive. They would have presented her as bait to me right now to get what they wanted.

I was going to need help to find out where the coven was and to perhaps break the spell without having to use either Mark or Hallow Stonebrook. I wanted to find Sookie more quickly.

I thought about whom I trusted and who would have the resources I needed. I could think of only one person.

He answered after three rings.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Eric Northman," Marten answered. "You caught me on my way to my club. I've been dating triplets for the past week and they are so delectable…"

"Your majesty, I require your assistance immediately," I said.

"What did you need Eric?" Marten asked.

"The witches whose services you use from time to time. Can you call in a favor?" I asked.

"Sure thing," he said. "I will get in touch with them and have them give you a call. What is going on?"

I knew he was going to ask me that, but I did not want him to know too much about Sookie, at least not yet. But Sookie's life was in peril right now and I had a feeling the witches was currently looking for her as I was.

"They placed a curse on someone close to me," I told him carefully. "I am hoping that they will be able to break it. The ones who placed the curse are nowhere to be found and I do not want to waste time looking for them."

"I see," he replied. "If that's the case, then I will send them to you in my private jet immediately."

"Thank you, Marten," I said relieved.

"No problem Eric," Marten said. "Call me if you need anything else."

We continued to search the Shreveport area for most of the night, looking for either Sookie or the witches.

As I settled into my bed preparing to rest for the day, my thoughts were of Sookie. I had never felt so helpless and gloomy in my entire existence. Wherever she was, I knew that she would be feeling the same. But I also knew that Sookie was strong and resilient and I could only hope that she was safe. My determination to find her was starting to overtake my despair.

Sookie's POV:

I sat up quickly after waking up and nearly forgetting where I was. Well, I pretty much forgot about everything in my life. I looked around to find that Marius was now gone. He was a vampire. I still couldn't believe it, but yet the idea of being around a vampire was not something that was not unfamiliar. It was like I had spent a lot of my forgotten time with them.

Marius had left a note on the table which I read right away.

Sookie, we are in the middle of the forest in British Columbia. The nearest road is about 500 kilometres away. I will be contacting my son this evening to help you find your way home. In the meantime, try to enjoy your day. There is a barrel of water by the door if you wish to wash up and to drink. I will see you at sunset.

I sighed after I read the note and sat back down on the bed.

The biggest question that I had was why I was here? and why was the memories of my life taken away? Was I in trouble with some witches? Was I running away from something or someone who wanted to hurt me? Marius did mention he thought that someone was out to get me. Perhaps it was too dangerous to go back home right now. Whoever it was that sent me here was probably still trying to look for me.

I sat on the couch in deep thought for about an hour. I then decided to tell Marius to find out who I was and where I was from first. Then I would decide if it was safe for me to go home. I was hoping he would be able to find out why I lost my memory.

I had something to eat and drink and then began to tidy up the cabin. It was the least I could do to show Marius that I was grateful for his hospitality. He seemed to have gone out of his way to make me, a human, feel comfortable in his home.

As I swept the floor, I started to become more curious about him. He didn't tell me much about himself, but just mentioned a little bit on how he knew me. If what he said was true, then why would I end up near his home in the middle of nowhere? More questions I had for anyone who may know what had happened to me.

After I was done, I decided to wash my face. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing. I ran my fingers over the Merlotte's logo and assumed it was a restaurant. I guess I was a waitress at this place? Marius had a foreign accent that was probably from somewhere in Europe. He looked European and not Canadian. I had a Southern accent and looked American. We were from total opposite sides of the planet. How did we end up together? Again, more questions swirled in my mind.

I let out another sigh of frustration. I decided that I had enough of being inside and went out for a walk. I walked down the path towards the lake and sat on a log. The water looked nice for a swim, but I didn't have a swimsuit or clothes. I suspect he didn't have any female clothing in his home either. I started to wonder if he had a girlfriend or a wife. He didn't seem attached to anyone last night but did mention a son. Were vampires able to have children? Or did he turn someone into a vampire?

I ran my hands through my hair and sighed again. I needed to stop asking myself questions that I didn't have the answers to. There was nothing I could do about my situation right now. The only thing that I knew for sure was that I was safe here.

I spent the rest of the day exploring the area near the cabin and sitting on the sofa reading some of the books he had on the shelf. Most of them were about nature and poetry. I didn't notice that the sun was setting as I continued to read the books of poems written in the 18th century.

The door opened and it was Marius.

"Good evening, how was your day?" he asked politely as he smiled down at me.

I smiled back as I closed the book. "Hello, it was good. I woke up this morning still feeling unsure, frustrated and sad. But I cleaned up a little in here, took a walk, and sat by the lake for awhile. That helped me relax a bit."

He sat down on the sofa with me.

"I talked to my son earlier," he said sounding hesitant.

"Ohhhh…. well that doesn't sound good," I laughed nervously. I didn't know how much worse things could get.

"He seemed surprised to find out that you were here…. with me," he responded.

I opened my mouth to respond but I had no idea what to say. "I….. honestly have no idea why I'm here either."

"He also said that someone may have been inquiring about you," Marius said. "His name is Eric Northman, does that name mean something to you?"

I studied my hands for a minute trying to remember that name, but again, nothing was popping up in my head.

I sighed in frustration again. This was becoming the theme of the day for me. "I don't have any memory of an Eric Northman. I wish I could remember him, if he is someone that I know, that is."

"Can you tell me anything more?" I asked.

Marius started to fill me in on some more clues. His son Marten did a data search on me during their phone call. My name was Sookie Stackhouse and I was 22 years old. I was born and raised in Bon Temps, Louisiana. I lived with my grandmother Adele Stackhouse. My parents were killed in a flash flood when I was a child. I had one brother named Jason Stackhouse. Merlotte's was the restaurant that I worked at as a waitress and was owned by a man named Sam Merlotte. He also told me that Eric Northman was my significant other, who was a vampire.

I sat still as he told me the rapid version of my life. I was an orphan and my boyfriend was a vampire, a thousand-year-old Viking vampire.

"Wow, that's quite a life. Is there anything else?" I asked hesitantly.

"You are part Fairy and you have telepathic abilities. Marten also mentioned that you possess fae powers," he said.

I blinked my eyes at him. "What?! I have an idea what a fairy is but I'm guessing a fairy in real life is different to what I'm thinking."

"Fairies come from a different portal from this world. Sometimes they come to live amongst the humans and will mate with them. Somewhere along your ancestor's time, a fairy name Niall Brigant mated with your human kin. Your grandmother mated with a half-fairy named Fintan Brigant, who was Niall Brigant's son. She had your father and aunt by him."

Suddenly, the room started to feel like it was spinning. All this information was just too much. I gripped my chest trying to calm myself but it wasn't working. I needed some air.

"Sookie," Marius said softly as he cupped my cheek. Tears were flowing down my cheeks. "Everything will be alright."

Suddenly, I could feel my heartbeat slowing down. The feeling of the world crashing down on me was going away and all I could feel was peace and tranquility. I knew this was not my doing, it was his. He was doing something to me to help me feel better.

As my breathing started to mellow down, I asked, "How did you do it?"

"I have abilities as well," Marius answered. "I can….influence people."

"You mean make people feel certain things and do things that you want them to do," I stated.

"Yes," he responded.

"Have you used your influence on me?" I asked him.

"Yes, just now and yesterday to calm you down," he said. "I also used it on you in 1978 when I wanted to meet you privately."

I wipe some tears from my cheeks. Although I was now calm, I was still feeling upset about everything. I realized that crying and having a meltdown was not going to fix things.

"Thank you, Marius," I said to him. "You've been nothing but kind to me since I got here."

"You are welcome," he said. "I am curious to know the reason why you appeared here as well. My son will be assisting us. He has sent one of his private planes to the nearest airport. It is about an hour flight from here."

"Wait, you have a plane here in the forest to take us to the airport?" I asked flabbergasted.

"No, I can fly and I will have to carry you," he said as he got up. "We should be leaving in a few minutes."

"Oh, uhhhhh," I responded. Well this was going to be different. I had no idea if I had ever flown before with a vampire. Maybe I did, with my vampire boyfriend. I was wondering if this Eric Northman was going to be at the airport or going to meet us at our destination.

I didn't have any belongings, so it didn't take me long to get ready. He gave me one of his coats to wear for our flight. He began to blow out the candles and lamps in the cabin and grabbed a small bag and put it over his shoulder.

We went outside to prepare for our travel. He stood in front of me, to look at me like he was inspecting me. I suspect he was trying to figure out how to carry me while he flew and was probably trying to estimate how much I weighed. I had curves and a large bosom. I wasn't small, but I also wasn't fat. Still, I couldn't help but feel like I would be too heavy for him to carry.

My cheeks started to burn in mortification.

He stood close in front of me. "Sookie, put your arms around my neck."

I did what he asked without looking into his blue eyes.

In one fast swoop, he had me in his arms bridal style. I gasped out in surprise and gazed into his eyes. For some strange reason, this felt familiar.

"Here we go," he said. And quickly, we were in the air, flying over the land.

An hour later, after what was an amazing experience flying over the beautiful forest and mountains, we were at an airport field in a small town. We boarded a plane that was already waiting there for us.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked as we settled into our seats in the luxurious jet.

"New York City," he responded.

During the flight, we were able to talk more. Marius told me a little more about his life. He was a very old vampire who was turned a long time ago by a female vampire ages ago. He lived his life like a nomad, never settling in one place for too long. There wasn't one area on the planet that he hadn't seen in his lifetime.

"That's amazing," I said to him, still fascinated with his story. "And you only have one vampire child?"

"Yes," he said. "He is the best part of me."

"I can't wait to meet him," I smiled.

We were getting close to landing. I looked out at the window to view the lights below and was feeling anticipation and excitement. On one hand, I was eager to find out what happened to me and to resolve everything, but on the other hand, I was scared. What was the reason why I was cursed and who would do this to me?

As we disembarked, there was already a large, black SUV waiting for us. In front of it, was a couple men dressed in black wearing shades. In front of them, was a young-looking man with short dirty-blonde hair waiting to greet us. As we got closer, he bowed his head down to Marius.

"Fadir," he said to Marius, as he continued to hold his head down.

Marius went up him and they hugged. They spoke to each other in a foreign language that I could not understand.

"Sookie, this is my son, Marten," he said as he introduced us.

I held out my hand to him to shake it. He looked at it for a second before taking it.

"Sookie, I am glad to see that you are well," Marten said. He was really handsome with perfectly chiseled features, full lips, and bright green eyes. He could very well be a model. Even though he was an old vampire, he looked like he was no more than 18 or 19 years old.

Marten continued to stare at me for a few seconds longer to the point that I was starting to feel uneasy.

Forgive me for staring," he laughed. "It's just the last time I saw you was in the 70s in Stockholm and you looked a lot more… experienced."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Uhhhh what I mean is you looked…. older, I'm not sure how else to put it," he said. He gave a side glance to Marius.

"Okay," I smiled nervously, unsure how to respond. "Did you know me well back then?"

I couldn't believe the conversation I was having. This still felt quite absurd to me. How could I be a time-travelling part Fairy, part human?

"Unfortunately, no," he said. "You kept the details of your life private, and for good measure. I can't imagine what other supes and vampires might've done with you. But the Northman protected you fiercely."

Ahhh, my vampire boyfriend. What!? "Wait a second, what do you mean? You mean this Eric Northman knew me back then? Was he the one who met me? Was he the one who sent me to the past?"

I started to feel another panic attack coming on. Marius took my hand and calmed me down before it got worse.

"Forgive me Sookie, I am so sorry to upset you. It's just that Fadir informed me that you wanted to know everything," Martin said apologetically.

I closed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths. This wasn't the place to talk about this and I needed to sit down.

We got into the black SUV and drove towards Manhattan. We reached a tall building and took an elevator to a penthouse apartment high up. The apartment was unbelievable. The walls and furniture were all white. Paintings and tapestries hung on the walls. Marten led us to a living room that overlooked Central Park. We sat down and I was offered a refreshment. I asked for a glass of red wine. I deserved to have a drink after having a rough few days.

I gulped down my drink quickly and asked for another one.

Marten then gave a run-down of what he knew so far about me. Apparently, I was working at the restaurant/bar and was somehow cursed by witches who were after Eric Northman. Great! This life that I had was just getting better and better. Marten didn't know why witches were after Eric and I was just caught in the crossfire. I started to wonder what kind of work or business this Eric Northman was in. Whatever it was, was obviously dangerous. Was I oblivious to his life or was I just so in love with him that I ignored the dangers that came to being involved with him? I knew that the next step was to meet this vampire.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize how hungry I was. My stomach started rumbling loudly which caught the attention of the vampires in the room.

Marten smiled. "Are you hungry Sookie?"

My face turned bright red. "Yes, I am. I didn't really eat on the plane ride. I was just too nervous."

"I'll have my man send out for food. Is there anything you really want to eat?"

I wasn't sure what kind of food allergies I might've had, so I just asked for whatever meals that was the quickest.

A half hour later I sat at the dining room table eating a three-course meal in front of two ancient vampires. They tried not to watch me as I ate, but I could see the fascination in their eyes as they glanced toward me.

"My man prepared one of the guest rooms on the lower floor for you. There are soaps and other female products in the bathroom. He also had some clothing delivered for you and it's all in the closet. You are more than welcome to stay in my home Sookie," Marten said.

I smiled at him. "Thank you, Marten. I could use some freshening up. I don't know how long its been since I showered or changed my clothes."

"So, is Eric Northman going to be here soon? Does he know that I've been found?" I asked. I didn't feel comfortable calling him Eric since I hadn't met him yet. I was very nervous about meeting him.

"Yes, he should be arriving in the next hour," Marten responded. "He is most anxious to see you again."

"Okay," I said. "I should wash up."

Marius took me to the guest bedroom. It was spacious and luxurious. There was a king size bed with a sitting room and tv in the room. He showed me the bathroom and walk-in closet.

"I am sure everything you need is in here, Sookie," he said to me.

He went to walk towards the door to give me privacy, but I called out to him.

"Marius, thank you for everything. I know I've said this many times already, but thanks. You have made my situation a lot easier to bear," I said sincerely. I took his hand in mine. "I will always remember the kindness you've shown me."

He rubbed my palm. "There is no need to feel grateful Sookie. I am sure this is part of my journey as well."

"Do you really think everything will be alright?" I asked worriedly. "I guess what I mean is, do you think Eric Northman is a good man?"

Marius looked at me for a moment. "Marten holds him in high regard. They have been friends for hundreds of years and it is difficult for our kind to find kinship amongst ourselves. If Marten trusts him, then I have no doubt he is a good man."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded.

I took a shower and went though the closet to find some clothes to wear for the night. I wasn't sure what my regular style was, but I didn't think that some of the high retail fashions that Marten provided me with were part of my everyday wardrobe. I doubt that my salary as a barmaid could afford me to wear Louis Vuitton or Gucci. I chose some black silk pants and a white silk top. I didn't think my reebok runners would be suitable for this nice outfit so I chose some nice black boots.

I put my hair up in a bun and applied a little bit of blush and lip balm. I wanted to look presentable if I was going to be meeting my boyfriend. As I continued to get ready, I realized I had no idea how he looked like. I hadn't asked for a picture of him.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Sookie, he is here," Marius called out from behind the door.

My heartrate accelerated. "Uhhhh coming."

I took one last look at myself in front of the mirror and went to the door.

We went back upstairs to the main living area. As the elevator opened I could see a man standing about ten feet away from the elevator, waiting in anticipation.

"Sookie, I am so glad that you are…." the man said before I started heaving and panicking.

I screamed in terror at the sight of him. I could feel the food that I had eaten earlier making its way up from my stomach.

"Get him out of here!" I screamed out as I held onto Marius.

"Sookie!," he said, before I passed out in Marius' arms.