Hi Everybody! I want to apologize on behalf of Meg and myself for the delay in posting this chapter. I won't bore you with excuses and hope you'll let us make it up to you with the gigantic size this chapter turned out to be (over 13K words so be prepared!). And we'd also like to thank everyone for their alerts, faves, and reviews. We're really blown away by it all. See you down below!

Chapter 5: When It Isn't Like It Should Be

SVM!Sookie

Alcide and I sat at the bar, him with a beer and me with a glass of water. I really didn't think throwing alcohol on top of the day I was already having was a good idea. Although I might have considered staking Russell for a gin and tonic at that point. It surprised me to see Alcide's aloof attitude toward the vampire that was burnt to a crisp, tied to a stripper pole behind us, considering how cordial he'd been to him in the past. It was just another reminder of how messed up things were.

"So, what are you doing here, Alcide?" I asked him with as cheerful a smile as I could muster.

"Eric called me. He said needed my help, and this would be the last thing I had to do to erase my Dad's debt to him." He sipped his beer.

"Well, with the day I've had, I'm just glad you're here. How's Janice?" I asked.

While I wasn't quite sure what I thought of Alcide, I liked his sister. She'd been nothing but sweet to me. Sure, she thought I was going to be one to help him get over that sleazy girlfriend of his, but after those few run-ins I had with Debbie Pelt I could understand why Janice wanted her brother to move on. I wondered if Debbie was just as big of a bitch here as she was where I came from. The more I thought about it, the more I figured I wasn't dreaming. This had to be some sort of alternate reality I was in.

I didn't get much time to ponder it since Alcide started talking a blue streak about Janice, and then he even apologized for what Debbie had done to me. I sat there quiet as a church mouse to let him speak, since I had a feeling she'd done some much worse than just be rude to me. I was right. Turns out she'd tried to kill me when I'd gone to save Bill from Russell. Okay, so I'd had a hand in the death of her lover, a werewolf aligned with Russell, whose name was Cooter, of all things. Was everything in this reality so crazy?

I thought about the woman I'd met in the "dream" I'd had, and wondered if I hadn't been pulled into yet another reality. The "dream" felt far too vivid to just be a dream. When I'd woken up, it had felt like I'd been slammed back into my body. None of it was making a whole lot of sense. I decided then and there that I had to stop trying to compare notes, at least for the moment, and focus on where I was. I had to focus on the things I knew to be true in those moments.

"Alcide, can I ask you a question?"

"Just did." He smirked at me.

"Ha. Ha." I rolled my eyes. I really was short on patience and quick on temper.

"Knock yourself out." He sipped more of his beer.

"Did Bill try to kill me?" I came right out with it, seeing no reason to beat around the bush. Alcide coughed and sputtered, clearly not expecting to ask the question I did.

Russell was making all sorts of noises behind us, and all it took was me glaring at that silly jar 'o Talbot to get him to pipe down. Alcide looked at me with concern in his eyes, mixed with a bunch of sympathy. I figured that couldn't be good.

"Bill nearly drained you in the back of my van after you, Tara and me all risked our asses to save his. I don't know what you're doing protecting him like you do, but he's going to get you killed one of these days. Vampires are bad news." He shook his head.

"Are you saying that because you're a Were, or because you really think I'm in danger?" There was a definitely distinction between the two, and Alcide genuinely seemed to have my best interests at heart.

Alcide paused to consider for a second and said, "Bill will kill you if you're not careful. He's already proven he can't control himself around you. I know he was injured when he attacked you, but that's not really an excuse. If he loves you as much as he claims to, then that should have superseded his need for blood."

"And Eric?" I had to know if my gut was right about trusting Eric.

"Eric has no reason to help you other than he wants to. He went out of his way to make sure you were covered while you were in Mississippi. He was willing to forgive a very sizeable debt in exchange for me protecting you. I don't know what you know about vamps, but they don't extend protection to just any human. You have to have some sort of value to them. The way he talks about you suggests it's not about your ability, or what your blood tastes like- assuming he's had your blood. It's about you." Alcide looked almost reluctant to make such admissions.

I knew I was blushing. Here I'd always thought Eric's interest in me ranked in exactly two ways. First, he wanted to have sex with me. Second, he wanted to harness my ability for his own use. Oh, and a third? He wanted to have more sex with me. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought of all the little things Eric did for me he didn't have to. I knew the Eric I was dealing with now wasn't the same as the one I was used to, but there was something about this new Eric I was sure I could trust. I could see it in his eyes.

"Just promise me that whatever you do, you'll be smart about it." Alcide said when I stayed quiet.

I nodded my assent just as the employee's only door burst open, and Eric came strolling out in a track suit that made me work overtime to swallow the drool that was pooling in my mouth. My Eric was more a jeans and leather sort of fellow, but the tracksuit was working just fine. It took some serious wrangling of my mental faculties before I could process anything that was being said to me.

Bill came to stand at my side protectively, like I was on the verge of being attacked. Alcide and Bill stared one another down while Eric got Russell ready to go wherever he was being taken. Pam issued a warning that under no circumstances was Eric to bring Russell back into the bar. Eric dragged Russell across the floor by the silver chain around the older vampire's neck.

"If you two are finished eyefucking each other, we have business, Bill." Eric said as he passed us.

Bill hissed at Alcide, which was just stupid. "Sookie, if you will wait for me, there are things we must discuss when this is all over."

I looked past Bill to Eric, who was standing at the door looking mighty bored. "I need to go home and get cleaned up, but you can stop by when you're through." I agreed, if only because there were things I needed to know, and I wanted to give him a piece of my mind for treating me the way he had.

Bill leaned forward to kiss me, but I dodged out of the way. He looked properly wounded, but then turned to follow Eric out of the bar. Alcide stood as well, and when he reached out to give me a hug, I let him.

"You take care of yourself, Sookie Stackhouse." He kissed my cheek gently, the scruff on his cheeks scratching my own.

He was so warm, and he smelled incredible. "I will. Next time you're in town, look me up?"

He nodded with a smile, and then followed the vampires out of the bar. I didn't know where Pam had gone off to and since Ginger had disappeared as well, I figured it was as good a time as any to head home. Then I realized I didn't have a way to get there. I'd seen my car outside earlier, but I didn't have the keys for it. Maybe my purse was in Eric's office? I really didn't want to go back to the basement to find my keys. They had to be around somewhere, though.

Ginger came back a moment later, toting a small purse with her. "Pam asked me to give you this, and to remind you to stay out of trouble." The cheerfulness on that woman's face should have been illegal.

"Thanks, I'll try." I took the purse from her and started to go through it.

I found a wallet with my driver's license in it, and paused to look at the picture. The Sookie Stackhouse staring back at me resembled me, but it wasn't me. What the hell? The height measurement was the same, but the weight was certainly different. I outweighed this other Sookie by a good thirty pounds. Didn't other me ever eat? I gasped when I realized her eyes were brown. My head spun while I tried to make sense of things. It was coming together slowly for me. This had to be the other Sookie Claudine was referring to in that dream I had. Did this mean I really was in another dimension? Cheese and rice, no one was ever going to believe a crackpot story like that!

I continued to dig through the purse and found a few other items that looked like they were mine. Most importantly, I found my keys. I grinned, pulled the keys from the bag and headed out. The drive home was the most normal part of my night. I thought about the predicament I was in as I drove, trying to figure out a way to get myself back where I belonged. If I was here, then where was the other Sookie? Surely people were going to start asking as many questions as I was. But then I turned onto the street I'd traveled so many times, and a familiar sense of calm washed over me as I drove down Hummingbird Lane. When I pulled into the driveway, I felt nothing but relief. That is, until I realized the lights were on. There was also an unfamiliar car parked out front, which was strange since I always parked around back.

For a moment, I let myself get my hopes up that in this reality, Gran was still alive. I squeezed my eyes closed when the image of her lying dead on the kitchen floor flooded my brain. I couldn't think about that now. I grabbed the purse on the seat next to me and went through it again to see if there was a cell phone inside. I was relieved to find there was. I scrolled through the contacts to see what my options were if I needed to call for help.

I was a bit disappointed to see Eric's number wasn't stored in the phone. He would have been my first choice of contacts, even if he was currently busy with Russell. I did see a number for Fangtasia, but I doubted Pam was going to hustle on over to save me if I needed help. The other options were Tara, Sam, Jason, Hoyt and Lafayette. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Lafayette's name. The Lafayette I knew was dead. Did this mean he wasn't dead here? I put that on the list of things to find out later.

If there was some sort of supernatural creature in the house, my best bet was to call Fangtasia and pray Pam would send someone. Jason was the closer option, but since it was after dark there was the high probability he was already half drunk and latched onto some hussy for the evening. Besides, he was no match for a werewolf, as strong as he might be. I could at least take some comfort in knowing it wasn't a vampire in my house, since the only vampires with an invitation into my home were Bill, Eric, Pam and Chow. The thought of Chow made me shudder. There was no love lost between us, and that suited me just fine.

Then again, this wasn't my world, and if the other me was stupid enough to take back a vampire who nearly drained her, then there was no way of knowing what might be waiting for me in my house. I kept my thumb hovering over the send button on the cell phone so I could call for help. I tried not to make any noise as I crept up to the back porch. There was no one in the kitchen, but that didn't mean anything. I slipped the key into the lock, and tensed up when I realized the door wasn't locked. Someone was definitely inside. I let my mind fall wide open to see if I could tell who might be inside. I heard the jumbled thoughts of what sounded like a very troubled woman. She wasn't dangerous, from all I could gather, but there was nothing familiar about her brain.

Who the hell was in my house?

I stepped inside and called out to see what sort of response I'd get. "I'm home!"

A few seconds later there were footsteps on the stairs. I grabbed Gran's heavy old rolling pin and clutched it like a baseball bat just in case. A black woman with big hair I didn't know came into the room and I screamed.

"Who the hell are you?" I swung the rolling pin at her.

She jumped out of the way lightning quick. "Fuck, Sook! Put that damn thing down before you hurt someone!"

"Who. Are. You?" I demanded a second time, tightening my grip on the pin.

"You know who I am. I been your best friend since we was just little kids." Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Oh, sweet Jesus. They finally scrambled your brain like an egg, didn't they? I told you to stay away from those bloodsucking motherfuckers!"

"My brain is just fine, thankyouverymuch!" I yelled at the woman, even if that might have been a tiny stretch of the truth. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"

"I'm Tara." She said slowly, making sure to enunciate everything she said. "Tara Thornton. Your best friend and roommate."

"What the..." The room suddenly felt like it was spinning. I shook my head violently.

No way was that Tara. First of all, I knew Tara's brain, and this wasn't it. Second of all, the Tara I knew was white. The woman standing before most definitely wasn't white.

"No, you're not Tara." I continued to shake my head.

"Of course I am!" She reached forward and took the rolling pin away from me. "You remember second grade in Mrs. Finstad's class?"

"What the hell does that have to do with you not being Tara?"

"You're the one who stopped Cindy Jo from being taken into the bathroom by the dirty old pervert when we went to that paper mill in Monroe." Tara told me.

I gasped. The only ones who knew about that were Tara and Miss Finstad. "Tara?" My jaw dropped.

"Yeah, it's me. Shit, Sook, what's wrong witchu?" She looked me up and down, then did a little gasping of her own. "Your eyes!"

"What about 'em?" I asked defensively.

"Bitch, you know you always had brown eyes. Now they're blue. What the fuck is up with that?" She stepped closer to inspect me. She sniffed me, for crying out loud.

"Tara," I started, feeling weird for calling her that when nothing about her screamed familiar to me. "I would try to explain it, but I don't know how."

She looked at me all confused, and I couldn't blame her. The images in her mind were horrifying. She was scared I really had been damaged by vampires. She was thinking I'd been glamoured into insanity. She had black holes in her brain, suggesting she'd been glamoured a time or two herself. I saw Franklin Mott in her mind, and a sexual scene I didn't want to see. I saw her tied up, abused and pleading with Bill to save her.

I gasped and said, "My God, Tara, what happened to you?"

Her lower lip quivered. When she reached for my hand, and that only made it easier to read her mind. She nodded to me, the look in her eyes saying she wanted me to take a tour of her head. The things she showed me were horrific, at best, and I felt terribly for her. I'd seen my share of brutality and violence in the last few months, but in a lot of ways it didn't compare to what this poor woman had been through. When I'd seen enough, I let go of her hands and pulled her into a hug.

I cried along with her. She wasn't my Tara, but it didn't matter. To her, I was her Sookie. She needed me. We stayed that way for a while before locating a pie in the fridge. We sat down together to eat while we talked about things. She caught me up on what had been happening at Merlotte's, which was startling. I knew Sam had siblings, but I'd never met them. I was even more shocked to learn Sam's parents had put him up for adoption. My Sam had never mentioned that to me. I had to remind myself for the millionth time I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Tara abruptly stood up and said, "Sook, I have some things I have to take care."

"Sure." I nodded. I wanted to tell her I'd be there when she got back, but I didn't know if I would or not.

"Look, I know we don't see eye to eye about Bill-"

"Don't worry about it, Tara. Bill and I are finished."

"I heard that before." She looked at me with disbelief, and I was treated to the imagine of myself laying lifelessly in the back of Alcide's van with Bill on top of me, sucking the very life from my neck.

"I mean it this time. It's a done deal." I said with determination.

Tara nodded, still not believing what I was saying. "I hope that's true. Just promise me you'll be careful around him."

"I promise." I accepted another hug from Tara, then watched as she walked away from me.

I walked around the house, amazed it was put back together like it was after that Supernatural Woodstock happened inside it. I would have to ask Eric just what the hell happened here. Then again, I didn't see him in Tara's memories until she was in Russell's house, and even then, it was only glimpses of him. But Bill, on the other hand, had a chance to help my best friend and he turned his back on her. How could he be so cruel? Poor Tara was beyond terrified she wasn't going to survive what she was going through, and Bill just washed his hands of her like her life didn't matter.

I made my way down the hall to my bedroom, only to find it was still filled with Gran's things. A sadness filled me with the realization she was just as gone in this reality as she was in my own. I missed her terribly. I looked across the hall, but it was just a guest room. I headed upstairs to what used to be my bedroom- and in this reality, still was- and took in the destruction there. I was in need of a new door and window. Now. I had no idea what had happened, exactly, but that was one of the things I planned to find out from Bill. I was nervous about having him in my house. The only real protection I had was knowing I could rescind his invitation at any point, and there was nothing he could do about it. I made my way to the bathroom and got the shower started.

I pulled off my clothes and looked at myself in the mirror. There was blood dried on me where Russell had bitten me hours before. If it weren't for Bill's blood, I would be all bruised up. I knew I should be grateful to him on some level, but it was hard to feel it when I knew it was only because of him that I'd been put in the position I was in the first place. I didn't know the circumstances of how I'd come to know Eric. Maybe I'd gone to Fangtasia to clear Jason's name just like I had in my "other life." There were so many things I didn't know about the Sookie everyone seemed to be used to.

I got under the water and let it beat at the muscles in my back. I didn't realize how sore I was feeling until just then. I braced myself against the cool tiles on the wall and let the hot water work its magic. I let my mind go completely blank. I took deep breaths and tried to relax. I took my time getting cleaned up. I breathed in the familiar scent of my soaps, and watched as the suds swirled down my tan legs to the bottom of the tub and down the drain. By the time I was all done, I felt like a new woman.

I wrapped my hair in a towel and slipped into my robe. I went across the hall to my bedroom and looked through the drawers in search of an old t-shirt to sleep in. I didn't see a single one. Instead there were cutsie little nightgowns to choose from. I picked one that was the same shade of blue as Eric's eyes. I stopped when I realized I made that comparison and laughed at myself. I slipped on the nightgown and a pair of fresh underwear. I'd always felt like there was nothing I couldn't handle if I had underwear on. Where I got that notion, I couldn't tell you.

Just as I was getting downstairs, there was a knock at the front door. I could see Bill standing there waiting for me. I pulled my robe around me a bit tighter before going to open the door for him. He stood there looking anxious, like maybe I wasn't really going to let him inside. Let me tell you, my gut was screaming at me to keep him on the porch. I'd never seen a vampire with the jitters before that moment. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"Come in, Bill." I said against my better judgment.

He nodded and stepped inside. I gestured for him to take a seat in the living room. He went to the arm chair near the fireplace, which I was thankful for since I definitely was in no mood to curl up in his lap and have a nice leisurely chat. I had a lot of questions, but he looked to be in a confessing mood, so I let him take the lead in the conversation.

He started rambling off an apology for the way he'd treated me and for letting me down so often. His tone suggested he felt genuinely sorry for all he'd done to hurt me. While I appreciated that, I wasn't sure I could forgive him just yet, and I told him as much.

"Sookie, I will do whatever you require of me to regain your confidence. In spite of all that has happened, you must know that I do love you. I love you as I have never loved another."

"So much that you cheated on me? So much that you nearly drained me? How could you do those things, Bill?" I shook my head slowly.

"I didn't have a choice, Sookie-"

"You always have a choice, Bill." I glared at him. He exhaled a breath that was unnecessary. "You could have refused Lorena, but you didn't. You could have stopped yourself from draining me, but you didn't. There's a whole lot of things you could have done differently, but you didn't. You betrayed me. You sold me out to the very people who you told me were dangerous- who you said you were protecting me from. Why?"

He didn't seem to have an answer. His mouth hung open while he tried to find the words. When too much time had gone by, I stood up and said, "I think it's best that you go now, Bill."

"Sookie, please wait." He used his vampire speed to get in front of me. "I won't ask you to forgive me. I know that is something you must do in your own time. But I do hope that someday, you will understand I never meant to hurt you. I will never love another as I have fallen in love with you."

The misery in his eyes was a little heartbreaking. While I might not have understood it all, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy for him. I knew he didn't deserve it. He'd put himself in the position he was in. I was just about to reach for the door, when it blew open. Eric was standing there on the porch, looking like he was covered in mud.

"Eric, what happened to you?"

Eric ignored my question, and in an eerily calm voice asked, "Do you think she'll forgive you if she knew why you really came back here, Bill?"

I looked from one vampire to another. "What's he talking about, Bill?"

"Do you think she'll forgive you if she knows you let those white trash drainers beat her within an inch of her life so you could get your blood inside her the night you met?" Eric picked something out of his hair.

I looked at Bill who looked like he was going to be sick. I thought back to the night the Rattrays had caught me out in the parking lot. Bill was late meeting me. I'd always thought it was a little strange. I remembered every kick, punch and slap they'd delivered. I remembered the blood they spilled and the extreme pain I'd suffered as a result of the beating I'd taken. I would have died that night if Bill hadn't given me his blood. I felt my stomach turn. I was prepared to ask Bill if it was true, but Eric wasn't finished yet.

"Do you think she'll forgive you if she knows you were sent here by the queen of Louisiana to procure her for the queen's personal service?"

"Bill?" I kept my eyes trained on the vampire who had just professed his love for me.

"He tried to silence me tonight so you would never know." Eric picked more of whatever that gray gunk was off his body.

"Bill, is this true?" I stared hard at him. The look in his eyes said it all. "Get out of my house."

"Sookie, no!" He shouted as mystical force propelled him out of the house. He grabbed onto the door frame and held on. "I love you. You must understand-"

"I don't have to do a damn thing! And don't you dare say you love me! You never loved me. It was all a lie. I don't ever want to see you again, do you hear me? Don't come over. Don't call me. Don't hang out in the woods. Don't show your face at Merlotte's. We're through."

"Sookie-"

"I rescind your invitation!" I screamed in his face, and he flew back, landing hard on the dirt path that led to the porch.

"I want my phone back." Eric looked over at Bill.

Bill made another one of those stupid hissing sounds that got on my nerves, and then disappeared into the night. My eyes swung over to Eric who managed to look miserable and sexy as ever. I stared him up and down, wondering just what in blazes was all over him.

"And you. Did you know all this from the beginning?"

"I only found out after you escaped from Russell's. We went to see the Queen in attempts to convince her to accept Russell's marriage proposal. I knew Russell was interested in you, only I didn't know why. I assumed his interest in you went beyond your telepathic nature. It took some convincing and I did feed on your cousin to loosen the queen's lips, but I eventually learned all I needed to know. Hadley was the one who told me."

Hadley was the reason I was in all this mess? She was the one who ratted me out to the queen? I felt a murderous rage start to boil my blood. Even if Bill was sent on the queen's orders, he had no right to use me like he did. He'd lied to me for months and months. He let me believe he loved me. He tricked me into falling in love with him. It was all a lie. Everything I ever felt for him... if it was true my feelings for Eric could be enhanced by taking his blood, why couldn't the same be said for Bill?

"Why should I trust you? It seems to me like all of you are in this for yourselves. What makes you different?" I stared up at Eric, who had closed the gap between us.

"Because I have never made you a promise I wouldn't keep." He lowered his face to mine. "And because you feel it in your bones." My breath caught in my throat, and before I could ask how he knew that, he said, "I can feel it in my blood- your blood. Our blood." He touched my cheek. Whatever was on his fingertips was rough.

"What is that all over you?"

"Cement." He said with a tone of indifference.

"Cement?" My jaw hung open.

"After we disposed of Russell, Bill tried to do the same with me. He tried to silence me so you would never know of his betrayal. He buried me in cement." He was a little too nonchalant about the whole thing. I knew that tone. It sounded level headed, but underneath was a seething malice just waiting to be unleashed.

The Bill I knew wasn't capable of such a thing. Well, maybe he was, but he was smart enough to know Eric was much older, and therefore much stronger. This new Bill was obviously not quite so bright.

"Would that really kill you?"

"It was a nuisance. Pam is particularly unhappy at the moment since I had to summon her to come fish me out. I expect Bill will be treated to a visit from her shortly." There was that evil Grinch grin on his face I knew so well, and probably shouldn't have found to be such a turn-on.

"Would you like to come in and get cleaned up?" I asked.

I really didn't want to be alone. I had more questions for Eric, and I wanted to know more about the things he knew. I wasn't quite sure how to process what I'd just learned about Bill. There was a part of me that wanted to scream, cry and throw a tantrum the likes of which the world had never seen before. On the other hand, that wasn't really my Bill. The Bill I knew wasn't capable of something so sinister and evil. Yes, he'd done things to hurt me and disappoint me, but nothing like this.

Still, it seemed for my own safety, it was in my best interest to stay away from Bill. If this other Sookie was too weak to kick him to the curb herself, I just did her a huge favor. I had to shake my head at what "I" was thinking by letting him back into my life after he nearly killed me. What the hell was wrong with the other me? Was I really that desperate to be loved by someone? And what had this Eric done to make the other me so leery of trusting him? I told myself it would be best if I didn't let myself be alone in my house. Since there wasn't a Bubba that could be parked out back in the woods, I would have to trust that Eric would keep me safe.

"Are you sure you want to let me in?" The choice of words combined with the intensity in Eric's eyes had me wondering if he wasn't just talking about an invitation into my home.

I thought it over for a moment before saying, "Yes, I'm sure."

The corner of Eric's mouth lifted just a fraction of an inch before he stepped inside. I closed the door behind him and made sure to throw the bolt over. Not that a locked door was really going to keep out any sort of Supe who was determined to get in. I lead Eric to the downstairs bathroom and turned on the light, not that he needed it. He'd be able to find his way around in the pitch dark with no problems.

"You go on ahead and get cleaned up. There are towels under the sink." I pointed to the sink like he didn't know what it was.

"Thank you, Sookie." He stooped down and gently kissed my temple.

A naughty little voice in the back of my head wanted to offer to get in the shower with him to scrub those hard to reach areas, but I managed to keep that voice in check. I had other things to think about besides what Eric looked like naked, although none of them were so much fun. I left Eric alone in the bathroom and went to the kitchen to get water started for tea. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see there was no True Blood I the fridge.

I was sitting at the table, drinking my tea, when I heard the water finally shut off in the bathroom. Eric had been in there for quite a while, but I imagine getting cement off your skin is probably a pretty brutal process. I had just remembered Eric didn't have clean clothes to wear, when he appeared before me with a towel wrapped around his hips. At least he'd had the decency not to walk into my kitchen stark naked. Still the view I was treated to was enough to get my libido in an upright and begging position like a little puppy wanting a treat.

Eric leered at me, clearly feeling it in my blood. "See something you like, Sookie?"

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "I can wash your clothes for you, but I'm afraid I don't have anything your size laying around. Jason is considerably smaller than you."

Eric smirked and said, "Most men are."

I blushed at the realization he was speaking of very specific parts of his anatomy. "Well, I'll just go get your clothes and get them started in the wash for you." I started to move past him, but his hand shot out and held my arm. His skin was soft and smooth again.

"I need you to know that I never would have given you over to Russell." Eric said with great sincerity in his voice, and a depth to his eyes I'd never seen before.

The way he looked at me had something in my chest aching. When he leaned down to kiss me again, I couldn't find the strength to fight him off. I let him kiss me, and before I knew it, I was returning that kiss. My toes curled as I melted against him. He lifted me easily and set me down on the kitchen counter so the height difference between us was a little less severe. The skirt of my nightgown was pushed up, and Eric took full advantage of my parted knees. He stood between them like he belonged there. My hands slid down from his perfect chest to his hips, and I breathed an internal sigh of relief when I realized the towel was still around his waist.

What set off some alarm bells was the tenting in front of the towel. But then my tongue grazed one of Eric's fangs, and he hissed. I stopped for a moment, afraid I'd done something wrong. I knew a vampire's fangs were sensitive. I worried I'd hurt him, and pulled back to see an almost bloodlusty stare coming right at me. I whimpered, then held on for dear life when his lips crashed down on mine again. The towel fell in the frenzy we were caught up in, only I didn't know it until he pulled me closer to the edge of the counter.

I felt a part of him I'd never felt before pressed against the inside of my thigh, and I gasped. Was I going to have sex with Eric right there in my Gran's kitchen? I tried to tell myself it was time to stop, that we'd gone far enough. If I had sex with Eric, there would be no turning back, and I didn't want him thinking he owned me just because of it.

But then his hand ran up my thigh, and pushed my panties aside. I froze at the feeling of his long, cool finger against my hot, slick flesh. He groaned against my neck, dragging his fangs along the pulse point there. He teased my nub while he sucked on my skin, before letting one of his fingers slip inside me. I cried out, unexpecting the pleasure it brought me. My hips moved of their own accord, trying to get more of him.

Before I could stop myself, my hands were fixed on the solid muscle that was his butt. I'd never seen it before, but if the feel of it was any indication, it was easily one of the best butts in the world. I froze just a little when I realized how close we were to really having sex on the counter, and I had to pull back.

"Eric, wait..." I gasped for air. He released my neck, but his finger continued to glide in and out of me. Clearly, he wasn't giving up just yet. "We can't do this. We can't have sex on my kitchen counter."

"Why not?" He purred against my ear.

I grabbed his wrist, and he allowed me to stop him. My body screamed at me for being a fool. Let him finish what he started, you idiot!, my body was protesting against my brain big time, but I was stronger than the lust I was feeling.

"Because it's not right. I don't want to have sex with you just because I'm scared, lonely and confused."

"Then do it because you want me." Eric nipped at my neck, making me shudder, and he started to move his hand again.

I cried out, so close to that golden edge that I hadn't tumbled over in so long. Against my better judgment, I let him finish his ministrations, and I wasn't disappointed. I gripped his shoulders tightly while my legs wrapped around his waist to hold him close. I almost told him to bite me, but decided that would open a whole other can of worms I just wasn't ready to deal with.

"You are magnificent, Sookie." His praise made my heart sing for reasons I wasn't sure of. He feathered kisses on my neck and face, but then backed away.

"What...where are you..." I trailed off, dazed and still coming down from my high.

"When I fuck you, it will be because you ask me to." His towel was back in place.

I sat there shaking on the counter, trying to process what had just happened while Eric went to put the clothes in the washer into the dryer. If someone had told me I was going to end my day with a naked Viking Vampire in my Gran's kitchen, debating over whether or not I wanted to have sex with him, I would have thought they were crazy.

"I think I'm going to bed." I slipped off the counter when Eric came back into the room. "I'm sorry I don't have any True Blood, but you're welcome to stay until your clothes are dry."

Eric nodded and said, "Thank you, Sookie."

"You're welcome." His manners, when he chose to use them, always impressed me.

We stared at one another for a moment, but I scurried away before my body could decide to invite him to bed with me.

TB!Sookie

It wasn't until Eric and I were in the car and on our way back home when he finally spoke.

"Sookie, when I got to the parking garage I could see a bright light glowing from inside the trunk right before Bill's body shot up into the air." He turned to look at me and I wanted to tell him to watch where he was driving, but I knew it was pointless and the intensity of his stare made me stay quiet. "That light was coming from your hands. How did you do that?" His words had gotten progressively softer as he spoke and I was sure if I hadn't had his blood the night before I never would have heard him.

I figured I'd better be honest with him considering the fact that he was the only person that knew I wasn't the same Sookie everyone else thought I was. "I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think it must be a fairy power or something. I can't control it and it only seems to happen when I feel really threatened."

Eric's eyes continued to bore into my own before I couldn't stand it anymore and looked down at my fidgeting hands when I heard him say, "I could feel your terror while I made my way to Alcide's. I could feel your energy leaving you as I approached and then your terror spiked again. It was obvious that he tried to drain you, but something more happened."

I continued to stare at my hands unable to look at Eric as I remembered all too well the terror I'd felt when Bill tried to rape me. As crazy as it seemed, I knew logically that I was in some alternate reality to my real life and that everyone here was just a little bit different. But at the same time, everyone was very similar as well. I couldn't wrap my mind around whether or not the Bill I knew would be capable of the same attack. Had Alcide and Tara unknowingly saved me from a very similar fate when they found Bill draining me? Would my Bill have gone on and raped me?

The sound of Eric's voice pulled me out of my internal musings when he said, "Sookie." I looked over at him to see he was looking at the highway in front of us and I noticed his grip on the steering wheel was so tight it was starting to bend with his fingers. He surprised me by making a very human gesture of reaching over and taking one of my hands in his own and rubbing soothing circles with his thumb before he asked, "Did Bill force himself on you?"

I was proud of my ability to swallow the sob that threatened to leave my throat, but the few stray tears that leaked from my eyes was unavoidable when I said, "He tried. And if it wasn't for that freaky light that shoots out of my hands he would have, but he didn't get the chance."

Eric surprised me again when he sighed in relief. I wondered how close this Eric and the other Sookie were for him to be so concerned about my well being. I mean, I knew my Eric, was concerned about me, but mostly because he wanted to fuck me and taste my blood. I guessed that statement wasn't really fair though considering what he'd said to me before he kissed me. If only I'd had a chance to explore the subject with him more. But this Eric seemed different, less crude maybe?

All of the differences and similarities running through my mind made me ask, "How did we meet?"

I watched Eric's eyebrow rise up in a 'you must be kidding' fashion, but I most certainly wasn't kidding. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy! Everything since I came to on that barroom floor has been crazy so I'm wondering what's different and what's the same."

He studied me for a moment before saying, "Fair enough. We met at Fangtasia when you came in with Bill trying to find out who killed the fangbangers your brother was being looked at for." His eyes softened when he continued, "You were beautiful, wearing a white dress with red flowers, like a light shining in a pit of darkness."

I couldn't stop staring at him with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. His description of me, or other me, was so heartfelt and tender. If I hadn't heard him say the words I would've never been able to imagine them being said by Eric Northman. I must have stared too long for his liking though because he asked, "What? Is that not the same thing that happened in your memory?"

"N-no, it is," I stammered. I decided to put that little tidbit away to think about later and plowed on. We talked nonstop going back and forth over the details as we remembered them. According to Eric, he was the one to stake Long Shadow, not Bill. And there was no Jessica since Eric was the one to end him and he'd only had to make a financial settlement with Long Shadow's maker.

The maenad here was named Callisto, not Maryann, and she'd never taken over the whole town or my house. But here Lafayette had been murdered and Eric had gone with other me to an orgy of all things so I could find out who killed him. Eric enjoyed my reaction to his description of what we'd been wearing and how he'd attempted to get me to yield to him on the hood of his Corvette. It was nice to see that some things hadn't changed. Also, apparently 'other me' had blue eyes and about 30 pounds on me. I couldn't imagine being 30 pounds heavier, but Eric assured me that my curves were delectable and suggested that I eat more. Men.

Dallas was a whole other mess and this Eric's maker wasn't someone named Godric, but Appius something or other. I kept wondering how in the hell things could be so similar and so different. We finally ran out of things to compare by the time we got to the stake in my side and we each sat there silently contemplating everything we'd been told by the other.

I was in the middle of remembering when Bill staked Long Shadow when Eric interrupted my thoughts. It was the first time I'd felt valued by him. He'd killed someone to keep me safe and it was a turning point in our relationship as to how I felt about him. Now I wondered how differently I would've viewed it if it had been Eric instead that had saved me. Would I have looked at him differently?

"Had it occurred to you that you tend to walk away when things between you and Bill become rocky? Not that I mind, necessarily, since I would be glad for you two to sever your association. But if this is the pattern you follow in your romantic attachments, I want to know now."

Fucking excuse me? "Who in the hell do you think you are? Doctor fucking Phil? Things between Bill and I aren't rocky. He almost RAPED ME. I was able to overlook a lot of shit in the past, but not THAT. Especially since he knew…" I let the statement trail off as I tried to get my breathing under control and hold back the tears that threatened to spill out again. Asshole!

I sat pressed against the passenger door as far away from Eric as I could, staring out at the dark countryside when I heard him whisper, "I'm sorry."

Those were two words I'd never thought I'd hear coming from Eric Northman's mouth and I couldn't resist looking over at him and asking, "What did you say?"

He took a deep breath and looked me right in the eye as he repeated, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so callous about what you've been through. I felt your terror then and I feel your pain now. Only this time it was my words that caused you pain. I don't like it. I don't like having feelings," he huffed.

I tempered the urge to mock the big bad Sheriff of Area 5 for, God forbid, having feelings and instead was overcome with the urge to make him feel better so I said, "You're forgiven. And as far as 'romantic attachments' go, Bill is the only guy I've ever dated so I have no idea of whether or not this is a pattern."

I could see his point though. My temper was quick to make me storm off whenever things got rocky with Bill and I in the past. I'd even left him sitting at the table after he'd proposed to me and ran off to the bathroom without ever giving him an answer. Maybe I did tend to run away. Maybe that was my subconscious telling me that I needed to get away from Bill.

I wondered what Eric's feelings were for me, or other me. Was it more than just a feed and a fuck that he wanted from me/us? Did he actually value me/us as something more than just an asset? I wanted to ask him, but at the same time I was terrified of his answers. I couldn't imagine that the blond egotistical Adonis seated next to me would actually want me for me and I had to admit hearing him saying it out loud would hurt more than just my ego. I'd always felt a connection to Eric and if he told me that he felt otherwise it would add to my plethora of internal scars.

Just as frightening was the chance that he did have feelings for me/us. Could I let myself trust that I would be enough for him? Was he capable of being monogamous? I had no problems trusting him with my life, but my heart was a whole other matter. I decided to just take the chicken-shit way out and not ask a damn thing.

About an hour outside of Bon Temps we took an exit because the car needed gas and I had to use the bathroom. There was another blond woman who had dark roots that walked in the door to the convenience store with me that said, "It's too cold to be sitting outside in a pick up." I glanced where she'd been looking and saw a battered Toyota parked in the shadow of the lot with two men inside having what appeared to be a heated discussion.

If I didn't have to pee so bad I would've dropped my shields to see what their problem was but my screaming bladder took priority over being nosey. Once my bladder was relieved I stared into the mirror as I washed my hands and saw that I looked like I'd been mangled by an animal. I cleaned up as best as I could with the hand soap and wet paper towels and then tried to tame the rat's nest that was my hair with my fingers, but it only made it worse.

I gave up on my appearance and stepped out of the bathroom back into the store contemplating if I wanted something sweet or salty to munch on when I noticed the two armed robbers at the front of the store.

Mother fucker! Could this day get ANY worse? I ducked down and hoped that my fear and tension would alert Eric that I needed him right fucking now, but after a few minutes there was no Eric. The bastard was probably ignoring my feelings because he didn't like them. I made a mental note to kick his ass when I got out of here.

I dropped my shields and picked up from the clerk's thoughts that this was the fourth time he'd been robbed, third time at gun point. Why the fuck would he still work here? He was wishing he could get his shotgun out from under the seat in his car so he could blast those 'sumbitches' to hell. Now we're getting somewhere.

I looked around and noticed that there was an 'Employees Only' door farther down the aisle, but there was a gap where I'd be seen by the robbers. I dropped to my hands and knees and began crawling down the aisle towards the door as quietly as possible when one of the robbers said, "You seen a blond come in here, about this tall?"

Fuck me! I couldn't see how tall 'this tall' was so I had no idea if he meant me or Eric. Then I wanted to kick myself for not listening to the robbers. As soon as I did it made my skin crawl. They were here looking for me. They were two of many waiting at gas stations all along the route from Jackson to Bon Temps.

The clerk spoke up, "Blond woman come in here about five minutes ago, bought some cigarettes."

"Naw, that one drove off. We want the one who was with the vampire." As soon as he said the word 'vampire' I pulled an image from his mind of Eric in the parking lot covered in a silver net. I needed to get the hell out of here knowing that was burning Eric at this very moment and I discarded my 'I'm going to kick his ass' mental note.

"I didn't see no other woman," the clerk said. I glanced up and could see a security mirror and knew the clerk could see me and was doing his best to not alert them to my presence. What a good guy. I kept crawling towards the end of the aisle while the phony robbers were questioning the kid. I got to the end where there was about four feet of open space that I'd have to cross to get to the 'Employees Only' door when I heard the clerk's intention as he said, "Car pulling in."

He was lying to draw their attention in the opposite direction of where I needed to cross and I silently thanked him as I scooted across the floor to where I was hidden once more by the counter. While they debated over a faulty bell that sometimes rang when there was no car I managed to turn the doorknob and open it just wide enough for me to slip through before shutting it once more.

I dug around in the clerk's coat pocket for his car keys and walked out the back door heading straight to his old pickup. I cursed under my breath at the number of keys this kid had on his ring before I finally found one stamped GM that opened the door. I reached under the seat and pulled the shotgun out thanking God for Jason showing me how to shoot one.

I was equally scared and pissed off as I crept around the side of the building towards where Eric had been. I came to the robbers' truck when I saw a little spot on the ground reflecting in the light. Running my finger through it I saw that it was blood. I felt a red haze descend in my mind at the thought that they'd had the nerve to harm Eric. To draw his blood.

I opened the door to the truck and grabbed a pocketknife I spotted on the dash when I spotted a box for a silver mesh net and it only added to my fury. I crept along the side of the building until I came to the front. I peered around the corner and saw that the Lincoln was still parked there but no Eric.

I continued to creep along and chanced a peek over the ice machine so I could see in the store when I saw both robbers had moved to where the clerk had been standing and they were beating him. Unfuckingacceptable.

I was about to go storming inside when I heard, "Sookie," right next to me and just about jumped out of my skin. Thankfully Eric had the forethought to cover my mouth with his hand as he was scaring the shit out of me.

"Sorry," Eric whispered. "I should have thought of a better way to let you know I was here."

"Gee, you fucking think so?" I whisper shouted back as soon as he let go of my mouth. I started to move towards the front of the store when Eric put his hand out to stop me.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going in there and opening a can of whoop ass on those two jerks inside." I mean, really, what did he think I was doing?

"Why?"

"Because they're beating the shit outta that kid who was the only reason I was able to sneak out of the backdoor. I'm not going to let them continue." I fixed a glare on him that said I was dead set with or without him.

"They're just opportunistic scum robbing the store. We'll anonymously call the authorities once we leave."

That reminded me. "Eric, they were here waiting for me. For us. I read it from the thoughts and there are others at every gas station from Jackson to Bon Temps. Why the fuck are they looking for me?"

His eyes turned predatory as he said, "Let's go find out." He went to take the gun from me when I said, "Back the hell off! You've got fangs and I've got the shotgun."

I didn't wait for a response and ran towards the front door and through it into the store. The bell above the door was making a racket alerting them to my presence but they were too busy shouting to notice. I blasted a shot into the ceiling above their heads as my way of saying shut the fuck up and they did as tiles, dust and insulation rained down on them.

I got a good look at the poor kid then and saw they'd roughed him up pretty good with a broken nose and loose teeth. The rage roiled just underneath my skin as I spit out, "Let. Him. Go."

"You gonna shoot us little lady?"

"Yep, and if you keep pissing me off, more than once." Prick.

"And if she misses, I will get you," said the pissed off Viking Vampire Sheriff behind me. I internally squealed with delight and a part of me wondered if drinking so much of Eric's blood was giving me a form of his bloodlust. It was feeling pretty damn good at the moment.

"The vampire got loose, Sonny," said the other robber.

"I see that." He didn't look too sure of himself now and I felt a little put off knowing they feared Eric more than me.

The poor clerk finally came over to stand a little behind me saying, "I see you found my shotgun," as he passed me by. He pulled a phone from his pocket and started calling the police.

"Before the police get here, Sookie, we need to find out who sent these two imbeciles," Eric said. I was sure one of them was about to piss themselves given the tone of his voice. When Eric stepped ahead of me it was the first time I could see his face. There were crisscross burns scattered across his once perfect complexion and while I knew he would heal relatively quickly, I felt a pang inside knowing he'd been hurt at all. I set that thought aside for another day too.

"Come down here," Eric said as he stared into Sonny's eyes. He immediately walked down from the clerk's stand where he'd been standing to come to a stop in front of Eric.

"Stay," Eric commanded.

The other guy quickly squeezed his eyes shut trying to fight Eric's glamour but the sound of Eric's approach made him take a peek and that was all Eric needed.

"Who sent you here?" Eric asked using a softer tone of voice.

"One of the Hounds of Hell," Sonny answered in a monotone voice.

Eric looked rattled before asking, "What did they tell you to do?"

"They told us to wait along the interstate. There are more fellas waiting at other gas stations."

I read that there were about forty of them and a lot of cash exchanged hands.

"What were you supposed to watch for?"

"A dark guy and a tall blond guy. With a blond woman, real young, with nice tits."

Eric's hand moved so fast I didn't even know he'd hit Sonny until I saw the blood trickling down his face.

"You are speaking of my future lover. Be more respectful. Why were you looking for us?"

Future lover? I guess I couldn't really dispute that fact given what went on between us the night before. My mind might want to say no because really, having sex with Eric was the last thing I needed to further complicate my life, but my body remembered his touch and I'd quickly learned last night that it easily took over my mind when Eric's hands were on me.

Sonny speaking again pulled me back to the present. "We were supposed to catch you. Take you back to Jackson."

"Why?"

"The gang suspected you mighta had something to do with Jerry Falcon's disappearance. They wanted to ask you some questions about it. They had someone watching some apartment building, seen you two coming out in a Lincoln, had you followed part of the way. The dark guy wasn't with you, but the woman was the right one, so we started tracking you."

"Do the vampires of Jackson know anything about this plan?"

"No, the gang figured it was their problem. But they also got a lot of other problems, a prisoner escape and so on, and lots of people out sick. So what with one thing and another, they recruited a bunch of us to help."

"What are these men?" Eric asked me.

"Pieces of shit."

Eric smirked with his eyebrow raised up in question so I added, "Human. They're just plain old human."

Eric seemed satisfied with that answer so he said, "We need to get out of here." That was just fine by me.

Eric looked into Sonny's eyes and said, "We weren't here. This lady and myself."

"Just the boy," Sonny agreed.

Eric moved towards the other robber and he squeezed his eyes shut again when Eric blew on his face and he opened them just like a dog would. I was tempted to ask Eric to glamour him into believing he was a dog, but I didn't think we'd have enough time for me to enjoy watching it.

Eric turned and, taking the shotgun from me, he handed it to the clerk saying, "Yours I believe."

The clerk clutched it in his hands and took aim at the two robbers saying, "Thanks. I know, you weren't here, and I ain't saying nothing to the police."

Eric left forty dollars on the counter for the gas and we raced out to the car, peeling back onto the interstate. Eric explained what had happened with Jerry Falcon and I wasn't surprised in the least that, yet again, I was off hiding dead bodies. It was really getting old. Once we'd been cruising along for a few minutes I asked, "How's your face?"

"It's getting better."

"What happened?" I couldn't fathom how they were able to sneak up on a 1000 year old vampire.

He paused before answering, "While you were tending to your human needs in the bathroom I finished putting gas in the tank. I had hung up the pump and was almost at the door when those two got out of the truck and just tossed a net over me. It is very humiliating, that they were able to do that, two fools with a silver net."

I thought back to what we had been discussing prior to getting to the gas station and knew I was mighty distracted myself pondering what relationship, if any, I had with Eric. I decided to take the chicken-shit route once more and asked, "So how did you get out of the net?"

"The heavier one hit me with the butt of his gun, and it took me a small time to recover."

"I saw the blood," I admitted. I still felt angry that they'd hurt him and it just made me even more confused.

"Yes, I bled. After getting used to the pain, I snagged a corner of the net on the bumper of their truck and managed to roll out of it. They were inept in that, as well as robbery. If they had tied the net shut with silver chains, the result might have been different."

I knew it was taking a lot for him to admit any of this and I appreciated him telling me. I told him, "I saw what they'd done to you in their thoughts. I was coming out to save you, but I couldn't find you."

Eric slowly started to tense up as he asked, "So you planned to save me and the clerk, together?"

"Yeah, so?" What was the problem with that? He seemed to be constantly saving me, why couldn't I do the same?

Eric stayed silent, but the tension inside the car was thick enough to choke a horse and I felt my temper rising with every mile that passed by as we got closer to Bon Temps. I finally exploded with, "What's your problem? Why are you so pissed off now?"

Eric ignored me and took the Bon Temps exit before turning south.

Of course I couldn't let it go so I kept on poking the angry vampire. "Do you have a problem with me saving you?"

He continued to ignore me as we went through the center of town and passed Merlotte's, which was still open, and then down the small parish road before turning onto my driveway.

Eric pulled over and turned the engine off finally saying, "Yes, there is something wrong with that. And why the hell don't you get your driveway fixed?"

Oh. No. He. Didn't. I flew out of the car, as did he, and came around until I was right in front him shouting, "Because I can't fucking afford it you asshole! You're constantly pulling me here and there doing all of your dirty work. Do you even realize that when I'm off doing your shit that I'm taking time off from work and not getting paid? Of course you don't you self-centered fuckwad." I started walking away mumbling, "I can't believe I thought there could've been something between us."

Eric was in front of me in a flash asking, "What did you say?"

Stupid vampires and their vampire hearing. Can't a girl even mumble to herself anymore? "I called you a fuckwad." That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

His eyes bored into my own and I just glared right back when he finally asked, "What about Bill?"

"He's a fuckwad too."

Eric smirked before saying, "Yes, he is. But I meant to ask why hasn't he fixed your driveway?"

"Why in the hell would he? He's never offered and I would never accept. I'm not a kept woman!"

I could see the wheels still turning in Eric's head when he asked, "What happened to the money you earned in Dallas?"

Don't get me started mister. "You'd only just paid me before I ended up here. Or at least Pam did, but you paid me too much so I wasn't going to cash it until you gave me a new check for the correct amount. I planned on paying my property taxes with it."

He was still staring at me like I was a massive jigsaw puzzle in front of him that he couldn't quite figure out when I'd had enough for one day. One hell of a long ass day. I felt other brain signatures in the house and figured white Tara must be inside with maybe the Easter Bunny or a Leprechaun for all I knew. I started stomping my way up onto the porch saying, "Someone's waiting in my house, Eric," as I gratefully pulled out the key that other me had hidden in the same spot.

My exhaustion from the last twenty-four hours made my shields nothing more than a flimsy piece of paper and as I opened the door I realized the brain waves I was getting were from Weres, but it was too late. I'd heard Eric starting to yell for me to stop when the door was yanked open in front of me and I was knocked to the ground.

"We got her," said one of the Weres and all I could think of was whether or not Eric had an invitation to enter other me's home and I hoped it would work coming from this me. I quietly whispered, "Please come in Eric," as they yanked me to my feet.

"What about the vamp?"

"I shot him twice, but he's in the woods. He got away."

"That's bad news. Work fast."

As soon as I'd heard them utter the words that they'd shot Eric, all of my anger from the evening boiled inside of me and the power surged through my body and into my hands zapping the Weres that were holding me on each side. They crumpled to the ground as the big one in front of me asked, "What the fuck are you?"

I glared at him while feeling the energy flowing through me as I said, "I'm the wrong fucking bitch for you to have picked on." With that I thrust my hands forward and watched the light shoot out of my hands and into his chest, knocking him off of his feet as he flew backwards down the hallway. My whole body was glowing as I turned to face the others who held stock still in shock at what they'd witnessed.

Apparently it was long enough because in the next moment the front door crashed open as Eric, looking every bit the 1000 year old Viking Vampire Sheriff, came in with blood smeared down his front with Bill right behind him. I caught myself before I went off on Bill for being in my house, but since they were quickly doing away with every Were in the house I thought I'd wait until they were done.

It didn't take long before we were the only three left standing, but I wanted to cry when I saw the blood stains they'd left behind. Can't I just go one week without having to clean up the bloody remains of someone?

Eric's face and chest were completely healed and he looked damn near rosy after feeding from the Weres while Bill stood there dejectedly staring at me like a lost puppy. He finally looked to Eric and asked, "Why were they here?"

"Jerry Falcon."

"Oh yes, I remember him from the torture room. He's first on my list."

Eric looked at me and smirked as he said, "Well you can cross him off. Alcide and Sookie disposed of his body in the woods yesterday." I almost corrected him since that had happened prior to my arrival in this weird ass world, but I managed to keep my trap shut.

"Did this Alcide kill him?" Bill glanced back at me as he asked, "Or Sookie?"

"He says no. They found the corpse in the closet of Alcide's apartment, and they hatched a plan to hide his remains." The way Eric said it was like we'd made a pillow fort together or some other cutesy thing. I was about to call him out for it when Bill said, "My Sookie hid a corpse?"

Say what? Eric spoke before I could saying, "I don't think you can be too sure about that possessive pronoun."

I must be getting delirious from lack of sleep I thought because this conversation is just getting ten shades of ridiculous now.

"Where did you learn that term, Northman?"

"I took 'English as a Second Language' at a community college in the seventies."

"She is mine," Bill reiterated.

"ENOUGH!" I yelled. "Did I not make myself perfectly clear William Compton? I am NOT yours. I am MY OWN and while I appreciate you helping out here tonight you can just get the fuck out now since they were only here because I was saving you AGAIN! I rescind your invitation!"

Bill looked shocked as his body was magically propelled out the door while Eric looked gleeful that he was a witness to it. I fixed a glare on him that said I wasn't interested in any commentary from him and he thankfully stayed quiet.

I got the bucket out from under the kitchen sink and filled it with soapy water to start cleaning up the mess while Eric went outside to "discuss body removal" with Bill before he went home. I tried not to think about it as I went about cleaning the mess.

Eric returned a short while later and found me staring at the pictures on the wall as he cryptically said, "It's taken care of."

I couldn't get over the similarities I had with other me. Really, other than the weight and eye color, we were identical twins. Even the extra weight on her wasn't too different than me on a Ben and Jerry's binge during my time of the month. The house itself was the same too and it both comforted me and freaked me out at the same time.

I looked up at Eric feeling completely lost and alone knowing that no one, other than him, knew who I really was and I felt the tears well in my eyes thinking he was going to have to leave me soon and I'd REALLY be alone.

His eyes furrowed seeing my tears and he came to stand in front of me to wipe my tears away before wrapping his arms around me saying, "It'll be okay."

He was so much taller than me, but somehow I fit right into him like he was made for me. I pushed that thought aside to join the other ones I'd been avoiding all day long and asked him, "Would you mind staying for a bit? I don't want to be alone yet."

I felt him lean down and kiss the top of my head as he said, "Of course."

I pulled away, but kept a hold of his hand, as I toured the downstairs. Gran's old room had all of my stuff in it now and I'd wondered what was in the upstairs bedrooms now. Eric followed me around from room to room silently, letting me take my time exploring and only asking innocent questions here and there on how things were different in my world. When we checked out the spare room across from Gran's, or my, room Eric inhaled deeply while moving towards the closet.

He opened the door and inhaled again before turning to look at me and asking, "Does Bill have a light tight space here?"

"No. At least not in MY house. Maybe in THIS Sookie's house he does though."

I watched as Eric dropped to his knees and felt around on the floor of the closet before declaring, "Found it," and opening a trapdoor in the floor. It was a tight fit, but I squeezed next to Eric so we could both check it out and saw that it was, indeed, a light tight space carved out underneath the house.

But it wasn't empty. It was filled with a computer, a box of discs, and even a printer and monitor. "What are those doing there?" I asked Eric as if he'd magically know.

"The only scent I can detect is Bill's, so it must be his equipment." He turned to look at me and asked, "Did Bill ever tell you about a database he was working on for the Queen?"

"No. What kind of database?"

Eric looked angry and said, "The kind that can get you hurt or killed for even unknowingly having them in your possession. Compton is a FOOL for leaving them here." Eric started ranting in some foreign language as he paced the room and while I could tell he was angry he was still kind of turning me on hearing him.

He was really on roll so I just lay back on the bed and watched him go back and forth like the Energizer Bunny, but as it turned out, my batteries gave out before his.

So there you have it! Up next...Dead To The World territory! I do love me some Amnesia!Eric! See you guys next time!