A/N This would be my first story in Southern Vampire Mysteries fandom, as I've only recently (ok, it was Christmas, so my memory might be foggy) read the books, and was written completely off the cuff today. I sat down to work on my MA dissertation and somehow got this monsterous thing instead. Apparently, my muse didn't feel up to exchange and social relations during the Bronze Age-Iron Age transition. So, all mistakes are mine, having been belted out in a marathon of typing while creating. But, the upside is I have the whole blasted thing written, which means regular updates are a given. (Although may be witheld for reviews, so be warned) This is set after book 8, so it goes off into a lovely little AU from my muse to you. It gets pretty angsty and even borderline maudlin and melodramatic at points, but stick with me, I promise there's a rationale behind everything.

Disclaimer: I only play with and torture these guys. It'd be too much work to actually have to look after them!

According to dictionary. com:

Nadir n the lowest point, the point of greatest adversity or despair

Ire n anger, ire suggests greater intensity than anger

I was wary of actually entering the building outside of which Amelia and I were currently parked. Actually, it wasn't so much the building, but its occupants. Or make that its owners. Or to specify even further, it was one of the owners I definitely wasn't sure I wanted to see. But, after weeks of no contact, finally hearing from Eric and having him 'request' my presence, I had to admit I was also a little intrigued. Our blood bond had been stretched thin over the distance from Bon Temps to Shreveport, so I had no idea what to expect once I stepped through those increasingly forbidding doors. Amelia glanced at my face, and started to giggle seeing me chewing on my lower lip while glaring at the front door as if daring it to attack.

"C'mon, girl. Let's go see what the lord and master wants. Sitting out here won't answer any of your questions. Besides, I'm thirsty."

"I know, 'Meals, it's just, where's he been? I haven't seen hide nor hair from Eric since the takeover. I thought we were going somewhere, or at least going to discuss what this blasted bond is about. Besides being a means to drag me further into stupid vamp shit." Well, that was my mood downhill real quick. I hated thinking about how the blood bond tied me even further to the murky world of vampire politics. All I wanted was a quiet life of working at Merlotte's and living in my Gran's house. And maybe a man who could put me first, but I didn't see that one happening anytime soon, especially not with All High Sheriff Northman, the object of my current aggression.

"Well, no use sitting out here, let's get going and you can find out where your man's been," Amelia chimed in cheerfully. The girl was way too interested in my love life. Or lack thereof, because there was no way I was getting involved with Sheriff Eric, no matter how much I missed My Eric, the sweet and tender version who had lived with me while under Hallow's curse.

There was another strike against him and I said as much, "And now that he remembers when he was cursed, you just know he's gonna use that as leverage for me to do something for him." This was the crux of the matter, since we had made love and nearly professed our love for each other, but then he had to go and forget his time of forgetfulness. Why couldn't he have stayed cursed? I'd never want Eric to not be who he was, which happened to include a powerful position in vampire politics, but I could be a part of his life if he had stayed out of it.

Pam was on door duty, but summoned a replacement over as soon as she saw us approach. "Sookie, dear, and Amelia. So glad you could make it. Let me take you to my Master. I know he is most anxious to see you, Sookie," she said as she wound her way sinuously through the teeming throng of fangbangers and tourists.

I didn't need to scan through the crowd to find Eric, as I was suddenly filled with calm and contentment, the hallmarks of this blasted bond that screwed with what I was feeling and made me look forward to seeing Eric, no matter what the occasion. I grimaced, which was apparently obvious to Eric, as I caught a ripple of amusement through the bond. Suddenly, the crowd cleared around Eric's 'throne' and there he was. 6'5" of gorgeous undead Viking, wearing his traditional Fangtasia t-shirt with his lovely, long blonde hair shimmering in the dull light. Hey, I may not have been happy with him, but I could still appreciate the sheer beauty of his form. Eric must have caught my perusal as his crystal blue eyes gleamed knowingly in my direction.

"My lover! You've come!" Way to state the obvious there, Eric. Oh, boy was I working myself into a right foul mood.

"I didn't think I had much a choice, after your lordship summoned me," I snippily replied. Amelia and Pam both glanced at me out of the corner of their eyes, although Amelia was much less subtle than Pam. "Care to tell me what you want Eric? Or why you haven't spoken to me since the take-over? I mean, I realize it's hard to pry yourself away from fawning over the new king and all those fangbangers fawning over you, but still, you could have picked up a phone!"

In the shocked silence that little outburst caused, I felt the briefest pangs of pain coming from Eric. Why did I say that? Sure, I was upset, but I didn't have to be confrontational. I smiled sheepishly at him, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm a little tired from work. Let's go sit and you can tell me what you wanted to."

Amelia seemed to oddly give off a relieved vibe at this, but why she cared, I didn't know. I'm not even sure why she wanted to come tonight, since we hadn't done anything together ever since she started going with Tray. Not that I begrudge her happiness, but would it kill her to spend some time with me, too?

My mood officially swinging back to negative, I grudgingly followed Eric over to his booth. I looked for Amelia to make sure she sat beside me, but found that Pam had already dragged her over to the bar. Great. Now I was left alone with the one person who could make this night and my mood worse. "Fine, I'm here, what do you want, Eric?" I spat out.

Eric raised an eyebrow at my tone and no doubt the emotions washing through the bond. He neglected to answer, but signalled to Felicia, who rapidly produced both True Blood and gin and tonic. I rapidly downed my drink, and then looked straight at Eric, saying, "Well, I'm waiting for you to grace me with an answer."

He sighed, but then smiled. I felt pride and relief, an odd combinatin shooting from him to me. "Lover, I know I haven't been around lately, but I have been working on setting things in motion, events I think you will find quite pleasing. I know how…"

Here I interrupted, nearly shrieking with the sudden ire that swept over me, "Stop calling me lover! I am not your lover. I have never been your lover. I may have slept with you when you were cursed, but that wasn't really you, was it? You can't just assume that it meant anything for the two of us. We're from different worlds and it should stay that way." I stood up, suddenly deciding I was done with this conversation. "You know, just save it, Eric. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I'm sure it will just lead to more pain for me, so no thanks."

I stomped off toward the door, momentarily forgetting that Amelia was with me and focusing on getting away from Eric. I was in such a righteous fury that I almost didn't hear the thought in time.

Let's blast these sinners back to Hell!