A/N: I've been a big fan of True Blood and the SVM series for years and just never liked the way the direction the show went after season 4, especially that series finale. This is a story that I've written for fun with a narrative of what I wished had happened between Eric & Sookie. This story will be post-season 3 AU. It will be a mixture of the TV show and the books, with some similar storylines and some new ones. If you are a Bill fan, sorry will not be a pro-Bill story. This is an Eric/Sookie story with maybe some Pam goodness!

To clarify before you begin to read, here are a couple of things you should know at this time:

1. Sookie's Grandfather in this story is Fintan just like in the books, but with a few different twists.

2. Sookie is not as forgiving of Hadley's betrayal. Hunter does not exist in this storyline.

Warning: Strong language, violence, and upcoming lemons.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris.

Last Hope

Chapter 1

"Ah!" Sookie cried out, falling face-first into the cold cemetery floor with a sickening thud. She laid there motionless on her stomach, the aches and pains of her beat-up body intensifying from the sudden free-fall to the ground. Sookie had to keep her eyes closed shut tightly as her vision started to spin from the hard impact. She knew from the sharp, throbbing sensation to her left temple that she had probably hit her head.

'Great…'

Sookie wasn't sure how long she laid on the ground. She knew she needed to get up, but the coolness of the ground felt so good and gave her the moment of peace she had been praying for so long.

'It was all just a bad dream.'

Sookie tried to tell herself, but the soreness of her body was a reminder that her experience in Faerie was very real. Letting out a loud groan, Sookie pushed her hands into the ground and tried to sit up. Sookie let out a sharp cry as she felt her muscles and bones protest to the movement, but she pushed through the pain and made herself sit up on her knees.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to see exactly where she had landed. Sookie knew she was back in Bon Temp at the cemetery, recognizing the smell of the gravesite she had lived next to almost her whole life.

Sookie had to squint her eyes for a moment to adjust to the bright, warm sunshine beaming down on the cemetery. A sigh of relief washed over Sookie when her eyesight improved and took in the familiar scenery.

CRACK!

The emotions of panic and fear quickly dashed away Sookie's moment of peace. Instincts took over, and Sookie found herself reaching for the small iron knife she had been keeping in her side-dress pocket but only felt dirt and fabric in said pocket. Dread washed over Sookie.

CRACK! CRACK!

Sookie quickly turned towards where the sound of movement was coming from. She tried to brace herself for the fight she knew was coming.

"Oh." Sookie gasped softly when she saw a herd of deer in the distances walking through the cemetery. Their hooves were making the same cracking sound Sookie had heard, as they stepped on the branches on a fallen tree.

Sookie let herself relax when it became clear there was no present threat. She was all alone but knew that could change any moment. Sookie wasn't sure if any of the Fey followed her through the portal before it closed.

Grabbing the side of the headstone next to where she landed, Sookie tried to hoist herself up from the ground.

"Shit!" She cursed through gritted teeth when she felt a sharp pain run through her body as she came to stand on her feet and leaned against the headstone. Sookie let out a painful hiss when she tried to bear weight on her right foot.

'Bastard nearly ripped my foot off!'

Sookie thought to herself as she inspected her injured foot, noting that it was swelling rapidly with scattered bruising. She had various claw markings going up and down her arms and legs, some old, some news. Her once sky-blue sundress with sunflowers was now a worn-out blue splattered with dirt, mud, blood, and dust?

"Eww!" Sookie grimaced and quickly brushed away the dust that covered her dress, arms, and legs, knowing very well that was not simple dusting she was wearing!

Sookie knew that if anyone were to stumble across her now, they would either think she was starring in a horror movie or possibly a zombie. Her sundress was torn in parts, the hem of the dress shredded. She knew that her face was covered in smudges of blood and dirt, and her hair was a wild tangled mess.

While Sookie wanted to slip back down to the cold graveyard fold and weep, she knew that she needed to get out of the open and to safety. She didn't leave Faerie on the best of terms and knew it wouldn't be long before Mab would send her goons after Sookie and drag her back to the Fey.

'Home. I need to go home...'

Inhaling a deep breath, Sooke braced herself for the pain she knew was coming as she started to walk in the direction of her ancestral home. Sookie thought she was doing an excellent job of holding things together as she limped towards the side of the cemetery where the old farmhouse stood until she saw Gran grave. Sookie's mind was screaming at her to continue walking towards the farmhouse, towards safety, but her heart was telling her to see Gran. Slowly, Sookie limped over towards the headstone that read Adele Stackhouse. Sookie tried to fight back her tears, placing a small hand on her Gran's headstone.

"I'm so sorry, Gran…" Sookie whispered, letting her tears go. "You gave up your own happiness and so much more to protect me… I hope you and Fintan find each other in the afterlife."

Her heart ached as she remembered the story Fintan told her about him and Gran. Sookie found herself almost envious of her own Gran when she saw the look of love, and passion Fintan still held for Adele Stackhouse after all these years. She had wished once upon a time for such love and thought she had found it.

'But it was all just one big lie.'

Sookie wasn't sure if she could ever open herself up like that again to someone after Bill's betrayal. During her time in Faerie, Sookie quickly realized that many of the feelings she had felt for Bill during their relationship were not as strong or true as she had once thought. There were multiple red flags from the beginning that something was off about Bill, but her love for him blinded her from seeing it.

'No, not love. I was being manipulated!'

While stuck in Faerie, Sookie had a lot of time to think about her relationship with Bill Compton. Sookie knew deep down that if Bill hadn't tricked her into taking his blood, she probably would have never pursued a relationship with the vampire or at the very least would have took things at a much slower pace.

'I sure as hell would never have agreed to be his.'

Rage burned deep in Sookie's core when she thought of what she had given up to Bill, her innocence—turning her into a mindless foul that followed him like a desperate pet.

'But that was exactly what he was sent to do. Break me, manipulate, and mold me into the perfect pet for his Queen.'

"Fucking Hadley." Sookie gritted through her teeth when she thought of her drug-addict cousin. If Hadley hadn't run her big mouth, bragging about her telepathic cousin, maybe Sookie would have never found herself in such a hot mess. Maybe her life would still be like it was pre-vampires. Maybe Gran would still be alive.

"I'm sorry..." Sookie whimpered tearfully to her Gran's grave one more time before turning and limping away.

Sookie wasn't sure how it took to make it home, but all she felt was a sense of relief when she saw the familiar farmhouse come into view.

"What the hell!" Sookie paused for a moment, taking the sight of her house. Wondering for a split moment if she had walked up to the correct house. The farmhouse had been restored to its former glory. All signs of the Maenad and what she did to Sookie's home were erased.

'It's so beautiful!' Sookie thought, limping slowly up the front yard and quickly spotted another change. 'I have a driveway! An actual smooth paved driveway. No more driving over large bumps and potholes or kicking up rocks and dirt. Thank God!'

Sookie let out a small cry when she tried to hobble up the front porch steps, catching her bad foot on the top step and nearly toppling over to the ground.

"Shit." Sookie leaned against the front porch railing for a moment to regain her balance before reaching for the front door and tried to turn the door handle. To Sookie's surprise, the door was unlocked. "Of course, Jason would forget to lock the front door …"

Sookie shook her head at this and opened the front door. The second she stepped into the house, Sookie thought she was going to faint at the sight that greeted her.

"Holy shit..." Sookie muttered to herself. She couldn't believe how beautiful the inside of her house was. Everything was perfect! The sun was shining brightly through the living, illuminating the brand-new furniture and new polished wood flooring. Anything that had broken or destroyed from the Maenad and werewolf attacks had either been repaired or replaced. Sookie felt like she was stepping back in time, remembering the spotless home her Gran took pride in. She could feel the need to unleash her tears again while she stumbled through the house and took in the meticulous details that were made to renovate her home.

'When did Jason have the time to do all of this?' Sookie thought to herself, limping into the kitchen. Her eyes immediately going to the spot on the tile flooring, where she had found her Gran in a pool of blood. Sookie averted her eyes, not wanting to dwell on her Grandmother's death anymore today.

Gradually Sookie hobbled over to the kitchen sink and reached up to the cabinet off to the side to find a drinking glass. She smiled at the fact that while many of the things in her Gran's house was maybe new, everything was still where she left it.

Sookie didn't realize how thirsty she was until she was done filling up the glass with cold water and started chugging the liquid the second it hit her parched lips. She was finishing her third glass a couple of minutes later before finally setting the cup down and letting out a gasp of relief. Sookie turned around and leaned against the sink while taking in what had been done to the kitchen.

Her eyes grew big when she took saw the brand-new stove and refrigerator.

"Hello?" Sookie jumped at the sound of the front door opening and someone walking through the living room. "Sheriff's Department!"

"Andy?" Sookie called out, recognizing the cop's voice. She heard him pause for a moment before practically running towards the kitchen. Sookie leaped back in surprise when she saw Andy charging into the kitchen with his gun ready to shoot. "Andy! Put away your gun. It's just me!"

Andy stopped dead his tracks when he saw Sookie, who sensed his mind go completely silent the second he saw her. He stood there with a blank expression for several moments, just staring at Sookie with a gaping mouth, still pointing his gun at her.

Sookie was about to lecture Andy again to put away his gun when he lowered his weapon.

"Holy shit.," Andy mumbled under his breath, not taking his eyes off of Sookie the whole time he re-holstered his weapon. Sookie noticed that his hands were shaking, and he was starting to sweat profusely.

"Andy!" Sookie heard her front door again, and the voice of her brother echoing through the living room. "Everything okay?"

"Uh," Andy stumbled over what to say, continuing to give Sookie a deer in the headlight's expression. "In the kitchen, Stackhouse."

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder around here… this shit happens. Fuck my life!"

Sookie gave Andy a puzzled, confused by his thoughts. She was about to ask him about it when she heard Jason coming around the corner with his weapon hanging loosely to his side.

"Hey!" Jason called out to Andy, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Sookie was taken aback by the Sheriff's uniform he was wearing. "Why didn't you call clear? I thought- Holy shit!"

Jason stopped talking and stared at Sookie, just like Andy had. Eyes wide and mouth gaping open.

"Sookie…?" Jason whispered fearfully. Slowly, he took a couple of steps towards her but kept his distance. "Is-… Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me!" Sookie snapped. She was getting really annoyed by the shock expressions on Jason and Andy's faces. Both were acting as if they had just seen a ghost! "I know I may look like hell, but I'm still crazy, Sookie! Now, would someone please tell me why you're barging into my house with guns? And Jason, why are you dressed as a cop?"

"Umm… because I am a cop." Jason slowly put his weapon away like Andy had. He took a deep breath, glanced over at Andy before looking back at Sookie. "The station got a call from the security system company that sometimes triggered the house alarm. We were just coming out to check and see what it was."

"You brought a security system for my house?" Sookie gasped and looked at her brother in disbelief. She suddenly felt concerned when thinking of all the work and updates done to the house. "Jason… where did you get the money to do all of this work? And why? You've never been interested in this house. Not even when Gran was alive!"

Jason took a step back from Sookie, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Shit! How the hell am I going to tell her the house isn't hers anymore?"

Sookie's heart sank. "What do you mean not my house anymore?" She demanded.

"Fuck." Jason smacked a hand against his forehead. "I forgot about your mind-reading."

"Jason, what the hell did you do?"

Sookie stared her brother down. Jason was averting his gaze, afraid to maintain eye contact.

"I sold the house." Jason whispered, finally looking Sookie in the eye. "Sook, - "

"Why? Why would you sell my house?" Sookie cut him off. She gripped the kitchen countertop, afraid that if she let go, she would fall over.

Jason looked unsure of what to say before taking a deep breath and moved towards Sookie.

"Sookie, you-"

"Because you were missing, Stackhouse!" Andy growled, reminding the Stackhouse siblings that he was still there. Sookie noticed that Andy seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in finally, his hands had stopped shaking, and he was giving her that "I'm the authority here" look. "You were missing, and we all thought you were dead!"

"Missing?" Sookie looked at the two men with pure confusion. "I mean... I know I left unexpectedly, but it wasn't that long. Maybe two or three months! That is way too short of time for you to give up on me Jason and sell my house! You had no right! This was Gran's home!"

"Fuck!"

"Oh, hell!"

"What?" Sookie shouted in question because pissed off at the glances the Jason and Andy were shooting each other. Her nerves were too fry to try and listen to their thoughts anymore. "What is it? Spit it out."

"Sook," Jason grimaced, looking at her with pity. Jason walked up to Sookie, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked straight into her brown eyes. Smiling sadly, Jason made Sookie's world come crashing down."You've been missing for nine years."

To be continued.