Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: Okay! So here is the last chapter of this story. I'm working on the sequel, which is where the real romance will be. I make no promises on when it will be out, though. I'd like to apologize for how long it took to get this out; I didn't forget about the story, I didn't abandon it, I didn't forsake it. I truly am sorry it took literal months. Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully the sequel turns out better :)

Previously...

"Do you want to go on our separate, merry ways?"

I was a little gobsmacked. He was putting it all in my hands? It was only fitting, I supposed, since he'd made a lot of decisions for me in the scant week that I'd known him. Maybe it was his way of apologizing?

Still, I wasn't sure…

I licked my suddenly dry lips and gently pulled away from his touch. "I don't know. It's just…a lot. You know?"

Eric's face became shuttered as he rose gracefully from my bed, nodding. "Of course. A lot has happened. I'll leave you to your rest."

He turned to leave, and in my panic, I shouted, "Wait!" He froze and turned his head partially back, though I couldn't quite see his eyes. "Look…I just need time to think. Alright? I just need time." My fingers began picking at my bedspread again, nervous energy surging through me. Eric sighed softly before turning and walking back to my bed.

"Here," Eric said, fishing out his wallet and extracting a business card. "For when you're ready. Or not."

He turned again and walked to my bedroom door, murmuring softly, "Goodnight, Sookie," before closing it softly behind him.

"G'night, Sam!" I said over my shoulder as I stepped out into the warm night.

"Night, Sook," Sam answered, strolling behind me. I sighed internally; ever since I'd re-appeared in Bon Temps a few weeks before, he'd been dogging—no pun intended—my steps. Keeping a very close eye on me during my shifts, watching to make sure I got to my car safely, and, sometimes, I knew he was outside, roaming my woods at night. I didn't tell him I knew he was out there; I appreciated the sentiment, even if it was overbearing.

I'd called on Sam the two days after I woke up in my bed after the fight with Russell. He got the same story Gran did: the truth, minus the more intimate details. Funnily enough, Sam could smell Eric's blood in me, and he recognized the scent pretty quickly. It had taken a while to calm him down and make him see how awful of an idea it would be to go after Eric, but he did eventually agree to drop the matter. It was a relief to not have to worry about the matter, but it also felt good to just be able to assert some control over my life again.

Thankfully, Sam also hadn't hired a new waitress to replace me, so I had gotten back to work fairly quick. I had to make up for lost wages, money that Gran and I desperately needed.

It caused a ruckus throughout the town when I suddenly re-appeared. There was a thicket of nasty minds to wade through every night, but it was easier to block them out than it had ever been before. Now all I had to fight off every shift were nosy questions instead of intrusive thoughts.

The only patrons I always lowered my mental shields for were the folks who worked at the Bon Temps police department. My disappearance was a fairly big deal in the small town, and the Sheriff was reluctant to accept my story, despite having plucked it from his own brain.

When Sheriff Dearborn came to ask me about where I'd been and what I was doing, I had let his thoughts filter through my own. He was already thinking I'd run off somewhere, like my "no-good cousin Hadley", and it seemed like the best option would be to go along with it. He had thought at the time how it didn't stick just right based on what he knew of me, despite it being his own thoughts, but there was no evidence to contradict my own story. And besides, I was alive and well; what reason was there to dig any deeper, really?

Still, I figured it was better safe than sorry when it came to them, always testing the waters when they came around. They'd long since moved on to other local problems, and my strange ways only briefly entered their minds.

The girls at work tried to wheedle me for details, but I always kept them at bay with a wink, telling them a lady never kisses and tells. I never confirmed or denied any rumors, letting everyone around me think what they wanted to, no matter how much it hurt my pride to do it.

Gran was supportive of my decision, and always put a stop to the gossiping when she was asked what I had really been out there doing. It made my heart swell when Gran had told me she'd firmly put Maxine Fortenberry in her place, telling her, "My granddaughter is a grown woman and can make her own decisions without me dabbling about. Maybe it's time you do the same for Hoyt."

She had also been understanding of how little I wanted to be around Jason. He didn't remember anything, not even that he'd been hooked on Vampire blood, but that didn't absolve him of the wrongs against me. I never asked Gran to keep Jason from our home, but she had stopped inviting him over when she knew that I would be around. Of course, we still had interactions when he would stop by unannounced or waltz into Merlot's, but that had been the extent of it. If Jason noticed my lack of presence, he didn't comment on it.

All in all, things were going as well as I thought they could. I hadn't used the business card Eric had left with me, though I won't say I wasn't tempted. Something about our parting had felt incomplete, and it rattled under my skin when I thought about it (which was more often than I wanted to admit to myself).

What am I waiting for? I mused to myself as I pulled out of the Merlot's parking lot. Gran was sharing her new-to-her car with me, so I was at least always able to get to and from work; she rarely drove and we certainly didn't have the funds to replace my old one. As it was, we had barely been able to replace the car that had been totaled by the Weres who'd run me off the road. As for my car, there was no insurance payout; I hadn't even filed a claim with the company. What could I have told them? 'A Vampire totaled my car and I have no idea where it is, but can I have my money, please?' That wouldn't have gone over well at all, so until I could afford a new one, I was going to keep having to borrow hers.

If I was being honest, I inexplicably felt like I was borrowing someone else's life, too. I didn't feel like I fit here anymore. Not at Merlotte's, delivering pitchers of beer in my waitress' uniform; not in Bon Temps, this tiny town I'd never really been accepted in; not even in my bedroom, decorated with things that just seemed…immature now. I was restless, I was incomplete, I was even a little bored.

I didn't exactly relish every aspect of my week in captivity, but there was something to be said about knowing there were other things out there. I wasn't a solitary freak; I was just other. After Gran's admission, there was a part of me that wanted to find all of the other things out there, be near them, not be alone in my strangeness.

Gran's car rumbled up the driveway, as rocky as my own thoughts were. I could be near others; I had a direct line to them, even. I could admit that I missed Eric, both his company and the ability to just be myself around him. I just didn't know if I was ready to face him, and whatever it was between us that hung in the balance.

I sighed, shutting the car off and tromping my way inside. The house was already dark, and I could tell Gran was sleeping peacefully in her bed. I'd started doing mental sweeps when I got home, and I hadn't picked up anything nefarious so far. Sometimes I thought I would sense a void on the edge of my 'radar', but I could never be sure. It never failed to make my heart flutter, though.

Tonight, there was nothing, just Gran's dreams and my own loneliness.

Despite the late hour—well after midnight, as I'd worked a closing shift—I wasn't yet tired. In fact, I felt full of restless energy. I debated a hot bath to sweat out some tension, but decided against it; I had planned to do some yard work the next day, and didn't want to bathe twice in less than 24 hours.

I could try to watch a movie or some television…but I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

The house was about as clean as it could get; my tried-and-true method of avoidance was still going strong: cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.

I knew, in my heart, that my nervous energy would never be burned off until I dealt with the situation between Eric and I. I suppose in a movie I would have broken away from my evil captor, never to see him again; I'd go on and live a happy life, marry my one true love, never have a second thought about leaving my trials and tribulations behind me. I'd move on to bigger and better things. I'd be happy.

But that wasn't for me. I knew it. Eric had known it, too. He'd told me himself that night in the car. I could do better than that.

I wasn't a heroine, and he wasn't a villain; not in the truest sense of the words, anyway. Our roles weren't standard, and neither were we as beings. Neither of us were even human. How could I possibly move on and settle down with a human man? I had always known it would be nearly impossible for me, but now I was starting to believe that it would be settling, just as Eric had said. Conceding to a life of inescapable thoughts, just for the chance at companionship…no. That wasn't me. I was no fairytale heroine.

I sat down slowly on my bed, clutching the cordless phone from the kitchen in one hand and Eric's business card in the other. It had his name—Mr. Eric Northman—printed neatly above a phone number. The red letters shone against the matte black card, looking a bit like blood. Knowing what he was, the color choice was a little morbid, yet very fitting.

I inhaled deeply, my heart thumping hard against my ribs. He gave me his number; he wanted me to call him. He had more or less agreed to give me the space that I needed.

"For when you're ready. Or not."

Was I ready? Would I ever really be? If I could go the rest of my life and forget about Eric and the entire experience, would I?

I bit my lip, knowing my answer immediately: No. I wouldn't.

I exhaled the breath I'd been holding and dialed the number on the card, my fingers moving quickly so I wouldn't lose my nerve.

The phone only rang twice before he answered, and suddenly I had no idea what to say.

"Sookie?" He prompted.

I cleared my throat. "How did you know it was me?"

His laugh echoed down the line, and I was equal parts annoyed and happy to hear it. "You do remember I stalked you, yes?"

"You have a point," I conceded quietly. "How are you?" I winced; the question sounded lame even to my own ears.

"Did you really call to ask me that, Sookie?"

A sigh escaped me before I could stop it. "No. No, I didn't. I called because…" I paused, floundering. "Do you have time to talk?"

"I do," he answered.

"Not on the phone, but," I cleared my throat, "in person?"

Eric paused, and even through the phone I could feel the heavy tension from him. "Are you sure you're ready to have an in-person talk?"

"Yes," I answered, forcing confidence into my tone. "I'm ready."

The silence, while still loaded, was no longer tense; I could almost feel his anticipation, his hope. "I can come to you, if you don't mind the intrusion. I can be there faster than you can be here."

"Okay," I croaked out. "I'll be here."

"I will see you soon, then, Sookie," he replied. There was a moment of silence before I heard him hang up.

Taking my time, I changed into fresh clothes and lightly spritzed some body spray to cover up the scent of grease and cheap beer. I doubted it would erase the stench entirely, but Eric would just have to deal with it if it bothered him. I let my hair down from its ponytail and brushed the snarls out, massaging my scalp lightly to relieve that ache. I grabbed a glass of sweet tea and moved to the front porch to wait for Eric to arrive.

With my mental shields down, I felt his void coming my way, as warm and firm as I remembered it. My heart rate picked up, though I tried to project a sense of calm. I knew he would feel my response to him, but it made me feel more secure to at least try, nonetheless.

When he finally touched down on the grass a few feet from the steps, I stood from my seat on the porch swing to greet him, but nothing would come out. My throat felt tight, and I could feel my hands shaking slightly. The ice clinked in my glass from the involuntary movements, but Eric didn't comment on it.

"Sookie," He said, by way of greeting.

I cleared my throat before answering. "Eric."

Our eyes stayed locked before he responded. "The ball is in your court, Sookie. You called me."

Though he said it gently, I still winced. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I…don't really know what I want to say. I've just felt off, ever since last time." He nodded, still silent. I worried my lip with my teeth, gathering my thoughts. "When you said that I was settling, you were right. Kind of. I was settling, but it was because I didn't know anything else was out there. I thought…I thought that I was alone. Like it was just me, and no other weird things, nothing that could be…other, existed. I just didn't know I had options."

"Options for what?" Eric responded after a few moments.

I sighed, setting my glass down and leaning against a support beam. "Everything? I don't know. I just didn't know that there was anything I could even remotely relate to, but…I talked with Gran, and she told me things that might have changed…everything, I guess. I'm not making a whole lot of sense, am I?"

"Tell me everything she told you, then," He murmured encouragingly, coming closer to the porch.

I did, starting from the beginning: Gran meeting Fintan, her subsequent pregnancies, the relief she felt knowing her children were all relatively normal—until I came along, anyway.

"She figured out early on that my I was other, and I would always be a little different. Maybe my life would have been different if I'd known I wasn't fully human. If I knew that I wasn't a freak of nature…I could have been a different person."

Eric tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps. But there's nothing wrong with you as you are."

I swallowed. "Gran said Fairies attract people to them, that it's just part of their nature. Do you think that my Fairy half is the reason you're attracted to me?"

"No," He answered without hesitation. "It's true that the Fae are enticing, even more so to Vampires, and you do have especially sweet blood. However, my attraction to you is not subliminal or the pull of some deep-seated instinct. It simply is."

"Right. Okay. So, we've both acknowledged a base attraction. And we're basically on even ground now, since I've been home." I trailed off, suddenly unsure of myself. I sighed, rubbing my face. "Sorry, I've never done this before."

"Neither have I," He replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"How comforting," I mumbled, knowing he would hear. "Well, basically, what we both know I'm trying to say is that, maybe we could try to get to know each other as equals now."

"As in, dating?" To his credit, Eric didn't even sound condescending.

"Umm, I guess? But taking it slow. And being exclusive."

He was quiet for a few moments, though our eyes stayed locked. "I accept your terms."

My eyebrows rose. "Do you have any terms?"

"No, Sookie," Eric said. "I'll let you set the pace for us."

Us. I smiled, liking the sound of that. "Thank you."

Instead of responding, he started up the steps. I simply watched, my heart beating faster. One large hand, startlingly cool, cupped my cheek as Eric lowered his face and kissed the crown of my head. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch, reveling in the silence it brought.

"No, thank you," He sighed into my hair before stepping back several paces. "But for now, I think it's your bedtime."

I nodded. "I think you're right."

He smiled slightly. "I await your next call, Sookie."

"It won't be too long, I think." I answered, smiling back. "Good night, Eric."

"Good night, raring." He turned and walked down the stairs before disappearing in the blink of an eye. I sighed, suddenly tired, but feeling lighter than I had in a long time.