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Sookie felt like she was drowning in all the feelings caused by Eric's impending departure. There was a storm inside of her, echoing the one raging outside her windows. Her life had turned to shit so fast it had caught her off guard. She couldn't wrap her mind around all this vampire bullshit of Makers having such total control over their progeny. Sookie thought that she could never accept being a vampire if that was what her life would amount to – a puppet for someone else to pull the strings of.

She loved Eric, she truly did, even if she didn't tell him often enough. Heck, she barely acknowledged that they were together most days. Sookie had been raised in a more traditional manner than she'd lived the past few years after becoming involved with vampires. But while she had become somewhat accustomed to it all, she couldn't embrace it fully, always wondering what her Gran would think. She found it difficult to get her head around that what she and Eric had was anything like a marriage since there had been no formal ceremony. And don't get her started on how she became married to the Viking in the first place since she was still annoyed at Eric having tricked her.

The telepath realized that their relationship was flawed for many reasons. One of the main ones was the fact that Eric always acted so high handed, feeling like he didn't have to tell her anything, feeling like if she was put in front of the deed she'd be more ok with things. Eric had adopted one too many times the strategy of asking for forgiveness rather than permission.

Sookie huffed into the night, watching as the rain poured outside her window. Of course he had to take that road since she wasn't exactly the most accepting person! She felt so many things for Eric, so out of control of her own destiny when he was around that her best efforts to maintain her independence was to say "no" to him, regardless of what he was asking of her. It was a defensive mechanism. Even after all these years she still had a hard time believing Eric was loving her for her. It was part of her Bill baggage, she realized, but it had become so ingrained in her nature after the entire fiasco with her first lover that she reacted first and thought later. While she was aware that Bill's betrayal was at the root of how she treated Eric most times, she had little control over her reflexes.

It also didn't help that she didn't trust the blood bond between them. She hated how she had become tied to Eric and wished she'd have had some kind of input in it and that their hands wouldn't have been bent behind their backs to do it. She hated that she couldn't trust her feelings were her own, which is why she had broken the bond.

Their communication skills were also kind of shit, to be honest. She knew that, he knew that, they just never fixed it. So many times she got angry because he made decisions for her, when he could have just come straight out and asked her for help. So many times he got angry because she made assumptions based on her history with Bill, whom he was nothing alike.

Sookie felt empty, for lack of a better word. She was drinking a cup of hot tea, which was so unlike her. Nonetheless, that evening she had felt that was the only way to go about things, as if the regular sweetened iced tea would do nothing for her mood. All the lights in the house were down, except for the one lampshade on that darned coffee table beside the couch, the one where Eric's True Blood used to rest on occasions, the one with all the round glass stains imprinted in the wood. The same one where a framed picture of herself and Eric rested, sending daggers to Sookie's heart every time she laid eyes on it.

She was angry with the world, angry with Eric and herself. It was just like her to do some dumb shit only to regret it later. This time around it was the realization that breaking her bond with Eric was a shitty thing to do, especially the part where she'd done it behind his back. She really shouldn't have listened to Amelia, she thought, shaking her head.

Well, it was too late now. But, on the other hand, maybe it was the right thing to do since Eric was so damn adamant on going to Oklahoma and spending the next century with the bitch queen. In truth, she knew deep down that if he could have had it any other way, there was no way he'd leave, even if for the sole reason of him hating to be forced to do something against his will. She was hurting. She was hurting so, so much. So Sookie decided that she was going to blame Eric for what Appius had done and for not managing to use that brilliant brain of his to get out of trouble, like he usually did.

She realized that perhaps that's what was annoying her the most, the fact that those assholes had built an iron-clad contract that not even Eric could get out of. The only way to be free of it was death. Not Eric's, she thought as her heart clenched. Of course not Eric's. Freyda, however, was fair game.

Sookie wanted to chastise herself for having such murderous thoughts but couldn't find it in her to really care. She was well over the point of playing the good Christian woman her grandmother raised her to be; not when there was so much blood on her hands and so much sin on her conscience. It was kill or be killed and she really didn't want to be a victim of the supe world.

She snorted, realizing the contradiction in herself. She had no issues being un-Christian like by killing her foes, but she felt like her Gran would give her a whooping for not being "properly" married to the Viking. Oh, the irony!

Leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, clutching the hot cup in her hands, Sookie hung her head, doing her best to suppress her tears. Tears of sadness, of lost love, tears of anger and betrayal. She wanted to scream.

Eric had said whatever he could to hurt her during their last encounter. Sookie wanted to believe that what she knew in her heart was true, that it was all a ruse so she'd be mad at him, so she'd find it easier to let him go. Whatever self-esteem issues she had that made it hard for her to believe that Eric really loved her kicked in and had her building up a wall around herself during those last moments together. She'd said some nasty things, let him get to her, his words cutting deep into her heart, leaving wounds deeper than any physical injury she suffered before. Without the bond she couldn't get a bead on his true feelings for her, but his eyes had taken that steely look that he had when he was trying to mask his emotions.

Her head rose from its position, a resolve made in her mind, thoroughly backed up by her heart. She was going to give Eric a call, try to see him again before his departure. Sookie wanted closure and seeing Eric one last time was the way to do it. Too bad Niall shut down the gates to Fairy, she thought, or she'd have asked for his help to fix the issue; more specifically to kill Freyda for trying to steal the Viking. Her Viking. She must have been breaking some sort of supernatural rules for interfering between her and Eric, preferably ones that warranted her death.

With newfound determination she picked up her phone and got up from the couch, pacing as she searched for Eric's number. Nervousness was creeping up her spine as she found what she was looking for, her thumb hovering over the call button. He could make her or break her all over again, but it was what she needed to do. With that thought in mind she pressed the green icon and raised the phone to her ear.

It barely managed to ring once before she felt a void approaching fast. Her heart leapt in her chest, thinking that Eric had come to her. The phone forgotten in her now limp hand, she headed for the door, ready to fling the door open and welcome him with open arms.

She paused when she felt that void stop on her lawn, hesitant. In that instant Sookie realized it wasn't Eric that was visiting since his void felt different. It also wasn't Pam since she knew her friend's signature as well. Not even Bill.

As the void started approaching the house at a human pace, Sookie reached into the drawer of the little table by the door, picking up a wooden stake she hid there a while back.

She opened the door a second later, making sure to stay far enough from the threshold so whoever it was couldn't reach her. The phone dropped from her hand when she saw who stood on her porch, letting out a gasp.

The Queen Bitch of Oklahoma was looking rather un-regal with her clothes soaking wet and her hair plastered to her head, her make-up running on her face. Still, Sookie thought, her beauty could not be denied.

"So you know who I am."

"Of course. While there are plenty of others, vampire and human and other type of supes, who crave my husband, there's only one bitch willing to take his choice away just to satisfy her self-important ass. Your majesty," Sookie spat. She had no intention of playing nice and minding Freyda's feelings wasn't exactly at the top of the telepath's list.

The queen's face darkened and her fangs popped out at Sookie's words. How dare this hick talk to her like that? She tried to glamour the Viking's whore out of the house only to be met with Sookie's smirk.

"Glamour doesn't work on me, although it's nice to see that you want to take everyone's will away, not just my husband's. Now, why the fuck are you here?"

Freyda zipped forward, the invisible barrier protecting Sookie's home stopping her from advancing even further, closer to the annoying human in front of her. All she wanted was to get close enough to snap her like a twig for having the gall to talk to her like that.

"I wanted to see with my own two eyes just for whom did my Eric add another hundred years to his contract for. I wanted to see who's the bitch I cannot touch for as long as she lives," Freya seethed.

Sookie was taken aback by that. She hadn't known that Eric added another century to his torture so she could be safe. Her heart ached for him, knowing that the last thing he wanted was to spend such a long time in what amounted to slavery. He hated everything that Freyda stood for, and having his free will taken away from him like that only added to his resentment towards her. The extent of his sacrifice strengthened Sookie's belief that his hurtful words had been just a way to make her hate him - with no real feeling behind them.

The dots connected in that instant, opening Sookie's eyes to the extent of Eric's love for her. For the first time ever she really believed that he would really do everything in his power to make her safe, to protect her, even when he couldn't do it in person. She realized that she'd been running from nothing all this time, keeping part of her heart locked away, trying to protect herself from the damage he'd do the moment he chose to leave her. She felt empowered by the knowledge that she'd been right about the reasoning behind Eric's ugly words. Suddenly she felt invincible.

The newfound knowledge gave Sookie a push to stand up for herself, for Eric, for their relationship.

"So tell me, Freyda, what did Appius ask so he'd let you enslave his progeny?" Sookie asked, taking a step forward, her fists clenched.

The queen's eyebrows rose with surprise. "He didn't ask for anything. It's an honor for the Northman to become my consort. It's reward enough as it is."

"Bullshit. Sure, you are beautiful, but you're young, a lot younger than Eric is. I don't know how you became a queen, but I'm sure you're having a hard time keeping enemies at bay. Having Eric for a spouse is sure to help you establish control since he's over a thousand years old. His name alone should make anyone avoid your territory. While Appius was a complete asshole, he did know what his progeny was worth. What was it that he wanted? Was it for a place to keep Alexei? He sure looked like an overtired parent the days before I killed him, so that should be it," Sookie guessed, taking the liberty to rewrite the story of Appius' last minutes.

Freyda's eyes widened. "You killed Appius?"

"I did. Are you done wasting my time? You confirmed my theory."

The queen's anger spiked at Sookie's words. How dare she speak to her like that?

"Almost. You're best to forget about the Viking, you trailer park trash. He's traded up and he's going to love me sooner or later. Keep that in mind, along with the images of us fucking like rabbits," Freyda taunted.

Fucking bitch, Sookie though. "Something tells me, your Majesty, that your rule over my husband will be short-lived. You have no idea who you're messing with," the telepath threatened through clenched teeth. "You have no idea who I am, what I am capable of and just who will be at my side when I need them." Hopefully, she'd be able to contact Niall and get him to help in freeing Eric. Even if they'd no longer be together, even if he'd no longer want her, he'd at least not be a freaking slave for her sake.

"Why don't you come out here so we can measure up, human," Freyda snarled.

"Why don't you just go the fuck home, Freyda? Does anyone even know you're here? Without guards? I can't imagine your worthless ass can protect itself. After all, that's why you're after Eric, you're looking for a pretty meat shield with a heavy name. Although I wouldn't bet he'll bite a bullet for your sake," Sookie replied, thinking of the times when Eric had done just that to keep her safe.

"I don't need anyone to protect me. I am vampire, I am immortal and I certainly don't need anyone protecting me from a lowly human," she spat.

Sookie had had enough of Freyda's bullshit. A surge of power ran through her, reminding her that she wasn't a scared little girl any more, that she was invincible if she so wanted to be. Suddenly, the stake in her hand felt heavier somehow so she followed her instincts. Before the Queen could register her moving, Sookie was in her face, the stake pushed deep into her chest. Shock was the last thing Sookie saw on Freyda's face before her body crumbled to the ground.

Breathing heavily, the blonde stood there in disbelief. In couldn't have been that easy to get rid of Eric's problem, could it? Did she just cause him more issues?

"Fuck!" Sookie exclaimed staring at the puddle at her feet, her mind in overdrive.

No one knew Freyda had been there and she had no children she knew of. Perhaps no one would know the Queen was dead and certainly no one would know it had been her that killed the bitch. She just prayed that Eric was in mixed company when Freyda died so he wouldn't be accused of offing her himself.

Talking of the devil… The Viking landed in front of Sookie's home and stood there, taking in the scene in front of him, her heaving breath, the stake in her hand, the dark spot on the porch.

He had been busy with Cataliades and Freyda's lawyer when Sookie's call came in. The Queen had been there herself but proclaimed boredom and left the meeting. She wasn't his care just yet so he didn't think to follow her. Whatever she wanted to do, she was more than welcomed to roam free. Perhaps she'd stumble upon a stake and rid him of his troubles, he thought the second she exited his office.

He had answered Sookie's call after excusing himself and panicked the instant the phone hit the ground. The telepath was in danger and try as he might to act as if he didn't care anymore, he couldn't do that. Without the bond in place he had no idea if she was hurt or if she was even at her home in Bon Temps, but he could hope.

He made up an emergency to leave the meeting for good, leaving the two lawyers to talk things out. It was clear Cataliades didn't believe his excuse, his eyes narrowing, a barely perceptible nod hinting the Viking that the daemon knew exactly where he was going. Considering his connection to the blonde telepath he was more than ok with covering Eric's visit to what he saw as his rightful wife, despite the divorce that had taken place.

The flight to Bon Temps had been slower than usual due to the weather conditions and Eric's efforts to fly lower than usual while still avoiding detection. Getting struck by lightning wasn't something that he wanted to experience, especially since his arrival would be further delayed.

He landed in the yard, taking in the scene in front of him. The first thing he felt was relief seeing that Sookie was well. Then, he came to realize that she had ended a vampire, judging by the stake in her hand, and he wondered if she had finally had enough of Bill Compton. The thing that shocked him, however, was the scent that permeated the air still, belonging to none other than his would-be Queen consort. Sookie Stackhouse murdered Freyda.

When she realized Eric was there, the stake dropped from her hand and she ran towards him, jumping over the regal remains beyond her door. Without a word her body crashed into his, her arms wrapping around his body. Instinctively he reciprocated the gesture, forgetting for a second everything that had passed between them in the past few months.

"Tell me this is a good thing, Eric, please!" she begged, her face buried in his chest, her hands still clutching to his clothes.

"Yes," was all he said, still in disbelief that he was free of the contract and free of Appius.

Rain poured over them both, cleansing them of their worries. Sookie started to giggle and Eric joined in. Before long they were both laughing hysterically, holding onto each other for dear life.

"Please tell me you'll stay," Sookie pleaded.

"Is that what you really want?" he asked, recent events coming back to him.

"More than anything," she confessed.

"What about the shifter?"

"What about Sam?" Sookie asked confused.

"You could have used the Cluviel Dor to save me from going to Oklahoma, but instead you chose to save the one you love - Merlotte."

"I do love him," she said, sending a dagger through Eric's heart. "But he's like a brother to me. I could never see him as more than that and you know that. It's love, yes, but a different kind. Just like you love Pam and me differently, I love Sam, Jason and you in different ways too."

Eric mulled over her words for a second, before realizing what she'd said.

"You love me?"

"I do, and you know that. You've known it for a long time. I'm sorry I don't say it often enough."

"Then why break the bond, why distance yourself from me, why not fight for me?" Eric asked, hurt in his voice.

"Because I'm young and stupid. Because I have been betrayed and had my heart completely shattered which made me never really trust that you were real, that what we had was true, that you wouldn't run away the first chance you had. As for the bond, I always hated it. Not the fact that I was tied to you, but that I didn't understand it, I didn't choose it. Had we been in a real relationship and you proposed it, explaining what it means and how it works, I'd probably have said yes, but the way we ended up bonded sucked. I wish I could bring Andre to life to kill him all over again."

"It wasn't ideal, Sookie, but it was there. Breaking it nearly killed me. I didn't know what happened to you when I could no longer feel you and I've been going crazy ever since because I didn't know if you were safe. It may not have come to be in the best way possible, but it was ours."

"I am sorry, Eric. I needed to know my feelings were my own."

"And?"

"And I love you, Eric Northman," Sookie declared, pulling her head back to look up into his eyes, drowning in the emotion she saw there.

Despite his instinct to gather her into his arms and kiss her senseless, Eric steeled himself. There were things he needed to say first.

"I know you're scared of this, Sookie, but I need you to really think things through, knowing what I offer and what I request. I want you, Sookie Stackhouse, to be by my side, to be mine completely. My bonded, my pledged and, one day soon, my childe. I want you to be mine forever, utterly and completely mine, just like I'll be yours. We'll live together, be together, be partners in everything; a team. It's all or nothing, Sookie. We've played games long enough and if you say no to me again I'll believe you, I'll walk away and let you be. It will be the last time you say no to me."

Sookie processed everything that Eric was saying, both scared and excited at the prospect of the life Eric was proposing. She knew he was dead serious, that her decision would make them or break them and she had no intention of letting the second option come to fruition.

She never loved anyone as she loved Eric and saying no didn't really occur to her. Not anymore. Deciding to trust Eric fully, to give him her heart completely lifted a weight off her chest, making her feel lightheaded.

"No more doubt, no more hiding. I've had enough of that. I love you and there's nothing that's going to keep me from you from now on. Wherever you go, I go, but we need to be partners. You need to share your life with me, even if I might not like what you have to do or how you do it. You need to stop making decisions for me. We need to communicate better if we want this to work."

Eric was studying her face intently, trying to decide if she meant what she was saying, although he knew she wouldn't joke about something like this.

His arms wound around her more tightly, pulling her close as he leaned in, his lips an inch from hers.

"Bond with me again."

"Yes," she breathed out.

"Pledge yourself to me."

"Yes. I love you, Eric. I mean it. I'm sorry you can't feel it due to my own stupidity."

The Sheriff's lips descended on hers, their lips molding together like they'd done a thousand times before. A loud thunder made Sookie jump, breaking the heated kiss. They stared into each other's eyes, Sookie's breath coming out rugged.

"So…"

She didn't know whether he was in any kind of trouble anymore.

"I am to understand Freyda is no longer a problem."

"No. I staked her. Will this be a problem?"

"If anyone is to find out, maybe, but the rain will wash out her scent and no one knew she was coming this way as far as I know."

"I don't think she told anyone either. It was her insecurities that led her here so she wouldn't have revealed that to another soul. You're free now?"

"I am, Lover, thanks to you. There I was trying to find a legal loophole, trying to void Appius' actions, when the solution was so simple. You, my love, have freed me," he smiled, letting the feeling sink in.

"So what now? Will you be king?"

"Only if I want to be. Only if you'll be my Queen. "

"Won't that be suspicious? The Queen dying and you bringing your human bonded in her steed?"

"It will, but no one will dare cross me," he said smugly.

"Well, I don't want to risk your life again. What other options do we have?"

"Leave. We can leave the United States, throw a dart to the map and move there." There was hope in his voice, but he knew how resistant to change Sookie had been in the past. He was trying not to get his hopes up.

"With my luck, we'll end up living with the penguins. Why don't you chose? You've seen it all before, so there must be somewhere that you enjoy most. I have barely been outside Louisiana so I'm not picky about where we go."

"You'll leave with me? Leave your brother and your friends and the house you grew up in?" Eric couldn't believe his ears and incredulity was written all over his face.

Sookie cringed. She knew why Eric was having a hard time believing she meant it all. Heck, he probably believed she fell and hurt her head.

"I know I haven't been the easiest person to be with, Eric, but I've realized a lot of things tonight. I'm done trying to live the life others think I should. I'm done keeping my heart hidden from you because I love you too much not to share myself fully with you. I'll go with you anywhere because I want to be with you forever."

Eric smiled warmly at his Lover, happy to see this new Sookie in front of him. He still had some doubts about the changes she showed, but it wasn't anything that time and trust couldn't fix. The Viking knew there were still a few days ahead of them that would be difficult, with the both of them having to act as if nothing had changed and that he was still going to Oklahoma. The Queen had to be declared dead and the contract void before he was truly a free man, but it seemed like such a small thing compared to what lay ahead of them.

He nodded, leaning down to capture her lips with his own. "Forever."