Disclaimer: I don't own the book or television series True Blood. Nor do I own any of the characters or the rights to them. My imagination, however, that is mine.

A/N: So... although I've been part of the fanfiction world for a while now, this is my first ever venture into the True Blood universe. Hence, this story might not be as good as I'd like it to be because I'm sure the characters etc. need some fine-tuning. I'll work on that, but I still wanted to put this out there and lose my True Blood fanfic virginity. I am absolutely obsessed with the show and I think season 4 is the best one so far. The show can do no wrong. This one parter takes place in season 4, Eric has lost his memory for a few days now and the story begins with Bill following his instincts. And, yes, I may have altered some things to fit my story. I hope you like! :)

Monsoon

"I thought I could get over you, but without you there's a hole in my heart."

It was Eric's fault that they entered her house that night, although afterwards she wouldn't put too much of the blame on his shoulders. Without his memories and his self, he was like a child and nothing but the exterior remained of his usual self. His intimidating height and hard muscle was enough to remind her of how he was supposed to be, but not enough to make her veer away when he needed someone the most. She was ridiculously human in that sense, something that made him all the more protective of her. Sookie was his only human he had these irrational feelings for.

The vampires crossed the threshold, no longer needing an invitation to enter the large house; though it was still Sookie's home, it was Eric who now owned it. It was incredibly careless on her part for not thinking of this, but reassuringly she was not alone in the house that evening. While she was asleep upstairs, Eric was roaming the woods, seeking for a sense of freedom. His old self would have heard them coming much sooner than he did, but he was distracted and felt like a stranger in his own body.

Sookie was awoken from her sleep in a harsh manner, being pulled from the bed by strange and unkind hands before her eyes were fully open. "What are you doing? Let me go!" were the first phrases that escaped her mouth in an alarming tone. Her eyes scanned the faces of the vampires, recognizing none of them.

"I'm afraid we can't, Ms. Stackhouse," one of the vampires told her in a respectful manner, his eyes revealing an emotion that almost looked like remorse. "These are the King's orders."

"Bill." The name of her former lover left a bad taste in her mouth, especially now that he had sent others, who had no choice but to obey him, to break into her house and go against her wishes. He had lied to her once again: telling her that he trusted her when he obviously didn't. It didn't matter at the moment that she had fed him lies as well. She was doing it to save a life, a life Bill deemed unworthy of her attention and affection. For a second anger and panic battled with one another until panic took the upper hand, causing her heart to pound violently for one that couldn't. "Eric," she breathed, for once wishing that he had drank from her and she had taken some of his blood as well so the blood bond would have been strong enough for her to tell him to stay away.

But of course he didn't, especially not now that he wasn't thinking straight. He was in the doorway before the thought had even finished crossing her mind, teeth out and ready to kill for her. However, the vampire holding her had foreseen this and she heard his own teeth click as they extended. "We'll kill her," he said, the polite tone replaced by something close to growling. Sookie didn't think Bill would go so far as to kill her, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing that the vampires could still do a lot of damage and not all vampires followed protocol well. She wondered if Bill had informed them of her fairy blood? Before she could come to her conclusion one of the vampires came at her with a cloth of some kind. He pressed it to her mouth, Eric's growl of protest fading quickly as all her senses numbed and she blacked out.

When Sookie awoke for the second time that night, it was with a start, the sensation of falling sudden and unpleasant. She intended on extending her hands to catch herself, but found her arms already stretched. " What the hell," she mumbled, pulling at her hands only to find them tied together, not with rope but with a silver chain. She attempted another tug, discovering that her hands were not tied together but to another pair of hands. Only then did her focus shift from her hands to her uncomfortable stance. Her hands were tied behind someone else's back, her arms wrapped around their waist as if locked in an embrace. Sookie looked up at the Nordic vampire towering over her, realizing that he must have been what had kept her from falling. "Are you okay?" she instantly asked him, aware that while the silver chain was painful on her wrists it was digging into his.

"I've been through worse," was Eric's straightforward answer.

"Ditto," she replied, adding a small smile to reassure him that she was alright.

He nodded, yet his eyes remained cold and his tone determined as he told her, " Just know that when I get out of these chains I will kill every single one of them, including the mighty King."

At the mention of Bill, Sookie's gaze broke from Eric's as she looked around the clearing for him. She found him talking to one of the vampires that had stormed her house and had taken her, taken her from the tower with no intention of rescuing her... He was using scare tactics on her to will her onto his side, even when it wasn't necessarily the right one to be on. Her eyes locked with his and she forced herself to look more vulnerable and fearful than she really felt, playing up the innocent victim card as much as she could to fool him. "Bill," she called his name. She waited until he had moved closer to where she was tied to Eric before continuing, "What's going on, why did you-"

He interrupted her, "It wasn't I who-"

"Oh, don't hide behind your minions, you coward," she cut him off, openly insulting him and making sure that she was being loud enough for everyone to hear. A little of the old Eric shone through as Sookie caught a faint smirk tug at his lips. "You told me you trusted me," she reminded Bill of an earlier conversation.

"Good thing I followed my instincts then," he returned, sounding bitter even though he was trying his best not to let his emotions interfere with the current situation.

"I was-"

"Protecting him," Bill finished for her, nodding. "I understand... but he's a liability to me, and a danger to you."

"Who are you to decide that for me?" Sookie stomped her foot to underline the frustration she was feeling at his controlling nature. "In case you haven't noticed, I can make up my own mind."

Bill cleared his throat. He wasn't able to help but feel slightly embarrassed at the fact that Sookie-only human as far as everyone else went-was laying down the law for him, the King. "I know these measures may seem drastic..."

"Drastic," she repeated, "you knew what the witches were experimenting with and you still sent him to-"

"He volunteered."

"You're his King, Bill, what did you think he was going to say? It might be Eric, but he's still not willing to die over something as stupid as not following an order."

"I really don't like following orders," Eric chimed in, his gaze menacing as it leveled with Bill's.

"I am well aware of your problem with authority, Eric."

"What about me?" Sookie asked. "Last time I checked, vampire authority didn't apply to us mere humans."

Bill shared a look with her, but didn't say anything to the contrary. Instead he told her as clinically as he could, "You hid him from me, a vampire sheriff who does fall under my authority."

"I still don't get why you're doing this to him? What did he do that-"

"It's Eric," Bill answered with a simple shrug, almost looking like he felt sorry for her and for her lack of understanding. "Not so long ago you would've agreed with me on this matter."

Sookie opened her mouth to protest, but Eric spoke before she could. "Am I that much of a monster? Because if I am... maybe I do deserve whatever the King has in store for me?"

The look in his eyes was heartbreaking and for all the bad Eric had done, the part of her that couldn't deny the pull she had towards him couldn't remain passive. She leaned into Eric a little more than was necessary, relying on her body to reassure him because her hands were tied. "It's not up to other people to decide whether you deserve to live or not," she told Eric in a softer tone than she had been using. She turned her head to look at Bill. "Okay, so he's Eric and he has done questionable things, but can you really blame him; I mean, he is a vampire after all. And he has also done some good things, right?" She paused briefly to take a breath. "He has helped me when he didn't have to, so now I am helping him. Call me human, or whatever."

"Every monster has a redeemable quality," Bill pointed out sarcastically.

"Oh, I know." Sookie shot him a meaningful look before stating the obvious, "You don't like him."

"The feeling's mutual," Eric murmured under his breath. She felt his muscles tight and tense beneath his shirt, the result of anger building up inside of him. If it wasn't for the silver chains, he would have been at Bill's throat by now, King or no King. And Sookie wasn't sure whether she would attempt to get in between the two this time.

"But you do," was Bill's slow reply, his words forcing her attention back on him.

She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling Eric's eyes burn against her skin as he watched her react. "I just don't think that he should be executed. You know I'm against the death penalty." She shrugged, not giving Bill the satisfaction of getting into an argument with him and proving him right.

"You're jealous," Eric stated matter-of-factly.

Bill made a huffing noise. "Sookie is merely taking pity on you because you lost your memory."

"What are you going to do to us? What are you going to do to me?" Sookie asked, breaking up the sparring match between the two vampires before it could start.

"I don't intend to do anything to you. A warning will suffice. But for Eric... I think a true death is only appropriate."

" And who are you to decide that?" she challenged him.

Bill let out a soft chuckle. "Why, I'm the King. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

He turned to walk away, continuing his preparations for Eric's death, or so Sookie could only assume.

"I will never forgive you for this, Bill Compton!" she yelled after him. She pulled at her hands once more, her fingers already tingling with power normally dormant. She leaned into Eric, her chin resting against his chest as she raised her eyes up to his. "Eric," she breathed, in a way that would have been sensual if it hadn't been for the restraints on both of their hands. "I need you to pull at the chains, force them a little so I can get my hands out. I know it will hurt," she warned him. "But trust me."

Eric nodded his head once, keeping his body rigid as he began forcing the chains around his wrists. He tried pushing them apart with all of his might, something that left marks on his face for her to see. With all of his power, he only managed to inch the chains apart, but it was enough for Sookie to tug her hands through and free. Holding them behind his back and out of plain sight, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She didn't know exactly what triggered her flashes of power, if she could even call them that, but she did know that the anger she felt towards Bill at the moment was only adding fuel to the fire already burning. As she continued to concentrate, she felt her body become almost weightless as all of her energy was directed towards her hands.

The tingling in her hands began to slightly burn until, when reopening her eyes, her palms began to faintly glow. The glow got brighter and brighter and when she held her palms up in the direction of a couple of the vampires, she willed the light and energy out of her hands. It manifested itself in beams and as the light reached the vampires, they flinched as if they had been struck. Sookie pulled her hands back a little and forcefully thrust them forwards again. When the light reached the vampires this time they were flung backwards out of the clearing and into the woods around it. They left behind the scent of burning skin as if they had stepped outside on a sunny day.

She unwound the chains around Eric's wrists before turning around to send another blast in the direction of the other small cluster of vampires, Bill included. Meanwhile Eric disappeared into the woods, quickly taking care of the vampires Sookie had sent flying into the trees. After a couple of those energy blasts, the ground wasn't as steady beneath her feet as it had been before but she put on a brave face. It was easier to maintain once Eric returned from the woods, fangs gleaming beneath the full moon. As Bill came at her from one side, Eric moved closer to her from the other. It seemed like such a twisted world in which Eric was the one who offered her the most support.

"Sookie," Bill said her name gently, thinking that his words could still make a difference at this point.

But Sookie shook her head, her palms up and aiming at him, just him. "No, you listen to me, Bill. I want you to leave Eric alone. I want you to leave Pam alone," she added after exchanging a quick look with the blond vampire who had moved to stand beside her. "I want you to leave me out of any vampire business from now on. And I want you to restore Eric's memory. Convince the witches to do it," she told him, intercepting the sentence before it could leave his mouth. "You're the King."

"Exactly, I am the King," Bill pointed out, taking another step towards her.

Sookie's hand shot out and landed on Eric's chest, stopping him before he could lunge at the other vampire. "King or not," she went on, "you will do this for me. You owe me."

"With Eric's memory and... self restored, there is no telling what he will do, what damage he will cause. He will kill me."

"I'll talk to him," Sookie promised him. "But you will do this for me... If you don't, I will never so much as talk to you on the phone and I will leave this place and never come back, if I have to," she threatened him, well aware of the effect she still had on Bill.

"All of this for Eric?" he asked her in disbelief.

"He'll owe me. You'll owe me," she repeated the same thing to Eric, waiting for him to give her a nod before her eyes flew back over to her ex-lover. "And you two will keep your hands off each other, for me," she pleaded with the both of them, something she could do because she was the woman at the receiving end of both vampires' affections.

Eric continued to show his teeth while Bill retracted his fangs. "He took you from your home. He hurt you." Eric's gaze fell down to her bruised wrists.

"Eric, please," Sookie voiced, touched by his concern but also feeling physically drained.

Eric recognized her strife and simply remained quiet. Sookie looked at Bill, who nodded and quickly averted his eyes. "Have him come see me later tonight."

And with that said, Bill turned his back to the two remaining in the clearing and disappeared. As soon as he did, Sookie felt the tremors take over her limbs and her legs gave out underneath her. She didn't fall far as Eric was on his knees and by her side within that same second. He held on to her as she blacked out for the second time that evening.

When Sookie woke up a few hours later she found herself back in bed, one that she didn't recognize as being her own. It was bigger and softer than her bed, not to mention that the sheets covering her weren't the pink ones she had bought on sale. These were a dark shade of brown, matching the dark wood of the bed's frame. The walls were a dark and warm shade of gold, a color Sookie would never pick for the walls of her own bedroom, though instead of feeling like the walls were coming at her, there was something comforting about the different hues and soft fabrics.

Light trickled in through the closed curtains, indicating that morning had broken through. If it had been her own bed she would have probably slept well into the afternoon, tired after what last night had asked of her physically. Her limbs felt incredibly heavy to her and she had a headache, as if she had drunk a few too many. She raised a hand to her head, lifting her fingers first then her hand and willing the rest of her arm to follow. A movement that usually took no effort at all. She touched her fingertips to her forehead and closed her eyes. She mentally prepared herself for getting out of the bed and walking home if necessary. A moan escaped her at just the thought and she hated it. She had been through worse and endured.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice caused her eyes to open again.

"Eric," she said his name, relaxing her body into the mattress at the comfort his presence offered her. Her hand dropped from her head and she rested it palm up on the sheets. She remembered telling Bill to convince the witches to bring back the old Eric and the way she had threatened him to get her way. She knew that Eric was no longer the kind and somewhat fragile being whose arms she had fallen into last night, but a part of her was still relying on that bond to still be there between them.

To Sookie's surprise, she felt Eric place his hand into hers. She looked at the vampire sitting in a chair beside the bed, studying his face. The concern for her well-being was still there, though stubborn determination and confidence were overshadowing the most human of his emotions once more. "Looks like someone is back to his old self." She simultaneously felt relief and grief, but she managed a smile for his sake. "I'm okay... just my head is killing me."

Eric's hand slipped from hers as he reached for something on the nightstand. He handed her a couple of aspirin and a glass of water. She took it, pulling herself upwards a little so she could lean back against the headboard. The pills went down her throat painfully, but she pushed them through by gulping down the entire glass of water. " Where am I?" she finally asked.

He took the empty glass from Sookie. "Do I really have to tell you?" He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head slowly. "I brought you here after you fainted. Pam stayed with you while I went to... tie up loose ends." He grinned.

"Eric," she said his name sighing. "We made a deal with Bill-"

"You made a deal," he corrected her.

"I made the deal for you." She sighed and closed her eyes again, the fingers of one hand massaging her temple. "Whatever you did, I don't want to be pulled into it... by you or Bill."

Eric inwardly cringed at the image of the girl in front of him, bruised so many times but never broken, yet he understood how fed up she must get at times. "I didn't do anything to him. And all he did was help me. He took me to see the witches, although he wasn't exactly friendly towards me."

"I'm sure you returned the favor."

"Of course."

Sookie reopened her eyes and looked at him, taking in the amused grin playing on his lips. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sounding serious as she caught the hint of blood near his ears. "You should have gone to ground."

He nodded. "I should have." He leaned his elbows on his thighs, palms facing upwards. "But you took care of me when no one else would have..."

"Pam would've," Sookie jumped in. "But she couldn't."

Eric nodded and folded his hands as he took on a more serious position. "Knowing Pam she did all that she could to keep me safe. Still," he started, his eyes timid and blue as they looked into hers, "I owe you."

"Don't worry, I'll come and collect." Sookie shot him a meek smile, brightening it as much as she could before pushing the covers off of her. She was slightly relieved to see that she was dressed in baggy sweats and an oversized wife-beater, both items of clothing probably belonging to the handsome vampire who had sat by her bed for what must have been hours.

Lines streaked his forehead as she shifted and began moving both legs to the side of the bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It's morning. I need to get home and back to my life."

"I believe that's my house you're referring too," he commented somewhat playfully, trying to see how much of his usual self she was ready to take on at the moment. "I'm not kicking you out, Sookie," he continued once he saw that she was still moving. "Why would I now that I finally have you in my bed. You look absolutely scrumptious in it." It was his version of a compliment, but all Sookie did was throw him a look as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Besides, I don't think you should be-"

"I can stand," she stubbornly let him know. Once her feet came into contact with the floor, she used her hands to push herself up and off the bed. But for once she should've taken someone else's advice. The movement was too quick and too sudden. Her limbs had needed more time to prepare because now they just collapsed underneath her, like twigs snapping. Eric had foreseen all this and caught her, one arm around her waist and the other placed gently against her stomach as he helped her sit back down. He sat down beside her and her body slumped against his, dropping her head onto his shoulder. She just had enough, although she knew that despite the words she had spoken to Bill she would never be able to completely detach herself from the vampire world and its politics.

"I'm just tired," she explained to Eric. "Most of the time everything is just so tiring." They sat just like that for a few seconds. "Bill is never going to leave you alone, is he?" She sighed. "What if I just start seeing Bill again?" she offered a solution before he could even answer her. "I bet I can persuade him to let everything be, to let you be. That crown's really getting to his head," she murmured on, although Eric didn't catch a word of that last sentence.

"No!" It came out in a menacing growl and in his anger he rose from the bed. "I will not let him touch you," he assured her, being only protective in his eyes.

In Sookie's eyes he was claiming something prematurely, but she understood his way of thinking nonetheless. "Just because I'm not Bill's, doesn't mean that I'm yours, Eric."

For a moment it seemed like his face fell, but he recovered too quickly for her to be positive. He nodded. "I understand," he said while sitting back down in the chair across from her. "But you've seen for yourself what he is capable of. And now that he is king there will be consequences, even for you if you choose to have a relationship with him again. I am offering you my protection," he finally came to the point.

"At what price?" she asked, looking at him from beneath hooded eyes.

"See it as me returning the favor."

She looked away briefly, opening her mouth again only when their eyes reconnected. "You know that I'd really like..."

"Do tell," Eric urged her on, his voice and manner seductive, and his eyes leering.

"My house back."

He lightly chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Already done."

Sookie nodded, releasing a shaky breath as she asked him, "Is that instead of your offer to protect me?" She was aware that she was allowing herself to be incredibly vulnerable in front of him, but over the past few days she had gotten used to letting her guard down whenever she was around him. It was a habit that had quickly formed and she had trouble breaking. Her eyes carefully touched on his and it became harder for her to breathe as the blond Adonis leaned forwards in his seat.

"No," he surprised her with his answer, going against the expectations she had of him. "But you have to invite me in."

"I can always rescind the invitation," was her reply, though her body language was contradicting it. A large part of her body wanted him and the look in her eyes was bordering on flirtatious, though she still managed to get on her feet for a second time. She couldn't depend on herself to make decisions with her head right now.

Eric got up with her. "Let my driver take you home? I would do it myself, but it's no longer dark enough." His eyes flitted over to the window almost longingly. The moment didn't last. He didn't allow it to last. "Of course... you could offer me some of your blood..." he suggested, pocketing his hands and looking down at her, the familiar twinkle back where it belonged.

"In your dreams, Eric," she returned, knowing exactly what his response would be before he even said it in that playful tone she had missed at times.

"Oh, indeed."

"But I will accept the drive. I don't think I have enough energy to walk the whole way."

Suddenly she looked as tired as she felt and he made sure the sympathy was reflected in his eyes. "I'll have the papers drawn up immediately," he promised her.

Sookie placed a comforting hand on his chest. "It can wait until tonight. Get some rest."

"You too." He placed his hand over hers, resting it there for a beat or two before bringing her hand up to his mouth and placing a kiss on her knuckles. "I hope you dream of me."

The southern belle shook her head while pulling her hand free, but couldn't hide the small smile as she departed from the vampire's bedroom.

Please review? Well, well? For me just writing this and posting it as been very exciting and something that's been long coming. But I've been reading some of the stories on here and they have been so amazingly good that I was a little intimidated, I admit. :) I would really appreciate it if you shared what's on your mind? Constructive criticism is welcome as well as anything you want to share really. Maybe until next time? x Lindsay