Dreaming Of The Dead

My version of Season 4/Book 4: Sookie finds herself torn when she comes across a helpless vampire, the one she has come to hate.

Follows the TB Finale, Rated M for language and adult themes, Eric/Sookie. Chapter titles are songs and will be listed at the beginning of each chapter. They will relate and will enhance your reading experience if listened to, I swear! The title of the story is a lyric from the song "Blinding" by Florence and the Machine.

DISLCAIMER: All characters are owned by Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.

WARNING: La-La-Lemons!

Chapter 1: The Diary of Jane (by Breaking Benjamin)

EPOV

I had been coming here every night for a week, and still nothing. The first night was when I felt her leave. I came looking for her, and thought perhaps her friends and the shifter may have seen her. They hadn't. The shifter had been trying to help his brother with a gun shot wound when I first came, and had begged me for help. So I offered a trade, of course. My blood for his knowledge of Sookie's whereabouts, and for him to contact me the second she showed up, whether it be tonight, or in the future. He agreed. It was a simple trade, but I had to ensure he would follow through. Before Sookie, the last time I gave someone my blood was the were-bitch in Germany, and now, it seemed, I was offering it's ancient healing properties left and right. That was a week ago, and since then I have come back here, to her house, the cemetery, her brothers and friends houses, but she was gone.

I walked in and was greeted by a skittish looking Jessica Hamby. Her red lips quivered as she took an unnecessary inhale before speaking.

"Good evening, Sheriff, can I help you with anything?" I smirked at the nervous pitch in her voice. She was squeaking.

"Have you seen or talked to Ms. Stackhouse, yet?" I ask her quietly, leaning down, close to her ear. She shivers and shakes her head no.

"N-no, sir. Not yet, but we are all lookin'." Still leaning, I pick my eyes up and look to the bar, where Lafayette stood, washing a glass and shaking his head solemnly at me. I growl and Jessica's breath hitches. I lean back from her and stand straight, my eyes searching over her auburn hair.

"Thank you, Jessica, that will be all." She nods and scurries off. I walk toward the bar to speak with Lafayette. I see the shifters brother there, now, looking better, with his eyes averting my gaze and his movements becoming twitchy. He must have had some lovely dreams. I smirk at him and he runs off, like the dog he is. Lafayette chuckles under his breath as I come closer to him and lean my elbows on the bar, crouching over it. He is less afraid of me now, and god knows he wants my cock, so I use it to my advantage to flirt with him. I seem to be very convincing.

"Hello, Lafayette. Any news on our friend?" He looks up at me from cleaning his glass, his glittery lashes batting at me. He purses his lips and shakes his head.

"No, boss man, but tell me something,… why is you so caught up on the Sooks, huh? You two got something going on? I only wants to know, because I gotta watch out for my girl. She been through enough, almost dying 'cause of her last boy-toy." I admire his courage to blatantly ask me this, but feel rage at the reminder of Bill Compton.

"Lafayette, sweetheart, I have nothing 'going on' with Ms. Stackhouse, except that she has done me many favors, and I at least owe it to her to want to keep her safe. Now, not knowing where she is, is a problem, and something I do not enjoy letting continue. She may not see me as a friend, but I do care for her well being, just as much, and maybe even more so, than you do."

He gave me a skeptical look, with his pefectly trimmed eyebrows furrowing, "Mmhmm. Right. Look, we are lookin' for her, and when we find her, if I find out any o' yous vamps had anythin' to do wit' her disappearing, I'm sharpening some stakes. It ain't right for her to take yo' shit anymo'."

I stare at him, angered by his ridiculous threat, only because he has seemed to forgotten already just how not to upset a vampire. My face is a stone, studying him, my lips set in a hard line and my jaw tensed. I wait for him to crack. And he does.

"I'm,…I'm sorry, sir. I just don't want nobody hurtin' my girl. You know how it is. I just… we gotta watch out for her." That' a boy. He is beginning to heal nicely, what with that sassy mouth on him.

"I understand, Lafayette, but do not cross me. I do not intend to hurt her. I intend to hurt anyone who tries to harm her, in any way. Keep in mind whose side you should be on. You should know by now, never to go against my side. Am I correct, Laf-ay-ette?" I growl at him and spit out his name, ensuring he understands I do not take threats lightly, no matter how ridiculous.

He swallows and nods his head, face mimicking a terrified child, "Good," my voice lightens and is filled with sugar, "Have a good night," I give him a wink and straighten up, walking away towards the shifters office.

I don't knock, I open up and walk right in. I might as well act like I own the place, after all, if he does not ever hear or see Sookie again, he will still owe me a favor. He is in my debt. I swing the door open and he looks up, scowling once he sees who has intruded. I smirk and sit down casually in the tiny chair across from him. I lean back, cross my arms and stretch out my legs.

"So, how's it going, Lassie?" I enjoy the flash of anger on his face. It makes his blood almost smell better. Almost.

"I haven't heard from her. I would have called,… you don't need to check up every night." He spits his words out, but I let it slide. I enjoy seeing him angry.

"But I do so enjoy this little establishment you have, bar owner to bar owner, it has some,… spunk." The hillbillies had to go somewhere, right?

"Yeah, well, you scare half o' them off whenever you waltz through here,…"

"Or I make then come back for more. Kind of my motto." I wink and he rolls his eyes.

"Look, don't cause any trouble, alright? I'm down two waitresses now, and Jessica gets too nervous when you are here, it fucks with her ability to wait the tables. I can't afford anymore shit, here, alright?"

I look him over carefully, from the toe of his cowboy boots, to his Levi's, to his plaid button down shirt, tucked in to his jeans. Fucking one step away from Broke Back Mountain, I think to myself, but then feel hypocritical with my insult; I did, in fact, come close to 'breaking' Talbot's 'back.'

"Very well. I will leave in peace. Keep in touch." I get up, stretch my neck side to side and casually walk out, purposely leaving his door open. It was one of the most annoying things that Pam would do to me, so I just had to see what the fun was about. It felt fucking awesome when he grunted and got up to slam the door. Lazy dog. I chuckled to myself and strolled out of the bar, giving a little finger wave to Lafayette and a wink to Jessica for good measure. If she was human, still, she would have pissed herself, she was so nervous. Worst vampire, 2011.

I walked out to the parking lot, and smelled him, instantly. I sensed him about a 100 yards away, and then saw him sauntering out from the darkness in a shadow. I growled and cursed internally as I made my way closer to him. I wanted his fucking throat, but thought, perhaps, Sookie would not approve, for whatever awfully ridiculous reason. So, instead, I had to fuck with him.

"Compton, I didn't realize you enjoyed the company of the local shifter. What is the term,… oh yes, doggy style? Is that what keeps you 'coming?'" I smirk at him and he growls, his stupid face glowering at me. I must have hit a sore spot.

"Ericcckh, what are you doing heruh!" He spit out in his terrible excuse for a southern accent. I mean really, it was god awful.

"Simply catching up with my old pal, Lafayette. Saw your progeny in there, as well. Sweet thing, ain't she? I love the baby ones, especially when they are as tight as she is,...she is healing very nicely for me,... you still having a problem?" It was too fun to taunt him.

"You stay away from Jessica! Stay the fuck out of Bon Temps, all togetheh! Even if Sookeh were heruh, she wouldn't want you around." He buffed his chest out, seriously?

"Ohhh, jealous? See, I think, actually, it is quite the opposite. When she came to my office that night, she was begging me to tell her the truth about you. But I didn't get the chance, seeing as her tongue was shoved down my throat. And I do believe she only rescinded your invitation, correct?" I quirk my brow up in mock question. I knew the answer, already. Yes, she had 'rescinded all vampires present' at Fangtasia that night, but she had to specify with names. She later only rescinded little Billiam. I wanted to shove it in his face more.

"And how do you think the Queen feels about your obsession with Sookeh? She still wants her,… I may have failed but she will come after you now. No matter how happy she is about your involvement in her inheritance, she will still fight you for the girl." The little bitch was trying to threaten me with Sophie Anne? Please.

"For your information, Bill, I have already come to an agreement with her. I have made a contract for Ms. Stackhouse, if she does agree to work for Sophie Anne occasionally, and she will be able to live home, and be paid a great deal for her work. Under my supervision, of course. I think Sookie will feel that is a better option than the first: you luring her to the Queendom under false pretenses. Don't you think?" I smirk at him, knowing I have the upper hand, as always.

"She won't go with you. She despises you. The only feelings she has for you are manipulated by your blood." His fangs pop out, with an embarrassing excuse for a 'snap,' and he growls at me.

"The drop of blood? Funny, how she has such desires to fuck me, with so little of my blood inside of her. It took nearly daily doses of yours to get to that point, and still it wavered. You know the strength of my blood isn't that strong, Billy Boy,… it's the feelings of lust and desire beforehand that make it so potent." I don't even have the patience to draw my fangs, this is just too pathetic. I was actually starting to get bored, already.

"You stay away from her. The next time I attempt to end your existence, it will be the last." He seethes out, lisping, and I chuckle at the way he worded it. I growl and speed up close to him, leaning my face down to his, mere centimeters away from him.

I seethe out, "Yes, Bill. It will be your last." Let him think about it. I'm sure he will realize it will be his existence that will have ended. I shoot up into the sky, leaving him standing there like a twat.

I fly in the night sky and head towards Sookie's house. I land in front of the porch steps and use my senses to search the area. A few Were scents, one of them the shifters, and another scent. Something sweet and exciting. Possibly familiar,… I slowly walk up the steps, my hand running along the dry wood of the railing. Her entire house is covered in her slowly decreasing scent. I inhale it, and cherish it. I feel like I have failed her. Having no clue as to her whereabouts, not knowing if she is alive or dead, is driving me to insanity. I open her front door, using a key I had found under a flower pot, and walk inside. The memories of her are vivid in my mind, especially of the last I had seen her. Her heartbreak and the betrayal written across her tear streaked face, it was a gut-wrenching sight. I had always found a crying woman to be extremely annoying, but her tears, they caused me pain. I didn't want to see her that way, ever again. But she had to know the truth, before he fucked with her any longer. I was disappointed to learn of his deceitful plan, more because I had not figured it out all along. He had slithered behind the backs of everyone, like a slimy snake in the grass. I wanted to skin him alive.

I walked throughout her house, already knowing she had not been there since the night before, but still curiously perusing her things. I had a team of workers (Weres who owed me) clean and repair the damages to her house, feeling like if she had a choice, it would not be in such disarray and shambles. Her house had a certain charm to it, and I had a feeling she was once proud of it. But recently, the Maenad had destroyed it and she simply did not have the time nor money to fix it. It was just one more thing I felt I should do for her, anything to make her life easier now. The regret I felt for hurting her so many times in the past was eating away at me.

I found myself walking into her bedroom. I had avoided it every night, feeling like I had no right to be there without her knowledge or allowance. But tonight, I needed more of her. I enter, and take a look at the repairs. It had been a disaster area, worse than the rest of the house, and smelled of Were-bitch and Bill Compton's cock. It had to be cleaned. They had fixed everything and scrubbed and bleached everything. Now it just smelled new and clean and like chemicals. Anything other than Compton's cock was good enough. I moved to her bed and sat down on her comforter, feeling the fabric under my hands. The quilt looked hand-made, possibly by her Grandmother, and had charm, just like everything else under this roof. It was a home, something I hadn't had in a thousand years. I had many houses, but none of them were truly a home for me. Every one had a different disguise, all fake and ordered from catalogs. I felt more at peace in her home. It was an odd sensation. I laid back on the bed, my legs hanging off, feet touching the ground. I closed my eyes and pictured her soft, blonde hair and her large doe eyes. I tried to picture her smiling, but it had been so long. Even before she left, I couldn't think of a time when she smiled at me. Suddenly, I felt a pang in the place where my undead heart settled. My blood began to vibrate in my veins, and I felt a sudden wave of high, and alert. I suddenly pictured the graveyard, and a large, blinding light. I moved fast towards the location. What I found had shocked me, it was Sookie. She was back.

She was kneeling down in front of a tombstone, sobbing and grasping onto it desperately, yelling at no one. I watched her, and I felt my insides drop. I hurt for her. I felt her pain, physically in my blood, but mentally as well. I hated to see her cry. She was always crying. I walked slowly towards her, afraid to scare her, and when I was a few feet away she gasped and look to me. I stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do, or say. She just looked at me and shook her head, croaking out with venom, "Get the fuck away from me."

I furrowed my brows and frowned, not understanding the feeling that those words gave me. I felt,… hurt? Broken? Useless? Like a fucking creep? I didn't know how to respond, simply because I wanted to do whatever she said, but at the same time, I could not leave her.

Finally, I forced a harsh whisper out, "Wait."

She stood up suddenly and wiped her face and came towards me, angered, "No! I'm tired of everyone telling me what to do! I just want you to stay away from me, and to not talk to me, EVER. I am fucking DONE!" She screamed at me, and began to turn away. I thought about letting her go, but something in me was pissed and I had to stop her.

I grabbed her wrist and forced her to turn back to me and I pulled her in close. I looked down at her as she struggled to get away from me, but I held her firm.

I growled at her, "I have been searching for you for a week, Sookie. I have been worried fucking SICK over you. AND FOR WHAT? Why do you hate me so much? All I have done is tried to protect you!" I was yelling at her now, not able to control my temper. The rage inside me was exploding. How dare she? I have thought of nothing but her, and this is how she greets me?

"Let go of me. NOW." She demanded, rage in her eyes, tears long gone.

"NO. TELL ME," I snap my fangs out and growl, closing in closer to her face, "TELL ME WHY you have such HATE for me, Sookie!"

She was silent, but I felt the energy building. The blue light burst from her hand towards my chest, pushing me away about ten feet. She scrambled away towards her house, and I struggled to get my bearings. Shit hurt like a mother fucker! I got up and flew towards her house, landing in front of her, blocking the front door from her. She screamed and I grabbed her by the shoulders.

"STOP! STOP SOOKIE!" She flailed against me, pushing and hitting me, crying out.

"Get off of me, I hate you! Just leave me alone! Please!" She cried out, and started to sink to her knees, tears falling from her eyes once more. I scooped her up and held her to me, despite her attempts to push and hit me away.

She finally stopped and just sobbed into my shirt, soaking it against my skin. I smoothed her hair back and rocked her gently, praying she would calm down. I needed to know where she was.

"Sookie, where were you? I have not stopped looking for you, I thought you were in danger or dead. Where the fuck did you go?" I whispered harshly, not caring that my desperation in my voice was evident.

She kept crying and I used my fingers to force her head up to me, by her chin. Looking into her big, tearful eyes, seeing her lips quiver, knowing she was safe in my arms, I couldn't help but taste her. I grabbed her face gently and pushed my lips to her, needing to feel her warmth again. Needing to taste her again. It was never enough. She responded at first, but soon pushed me away, again, and scrambled away from my grasp. She stood up quick and darted for her doorknob, opening it and running inside.

She spit out, "I rescind your invitation, Eric Northman," and shut the door in my face. I was livid. I stood up and banged on her door, breaking the lock and shoving it open. She screamed from her stairwell at my attempt to get in, throwing myself at the magical barrier, yelling and cursing. She sunk down onto a step and cried and watched me in fear. I couldn't control the anger and rejection any longer.

"I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU, I HAVE THOUGHT NON STOP ABOUT YOU, AND IT'S FUCKING KILLING ME! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT, SOOKIE? I HAVE RISKED EVERYTHING TO KEEP YOU SAFE. EVERYTHING! I SHOULD HAVE FUCKING DRAINED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE, TO END THIS FUCKING TORMENT!" I sobbed out the last word and dropped to my knees. The blood poured from my eyes, and I couldn't control anything any longer.

I let it all out, sobbing and cursing her, the pain and misery I have felt because of her was tearing at me, every night, every day in my sleep. I had risked my life, and my reputation for her, countless times. I have helped her and her friends, I helped her to find her asshole fucking boyfriend, I saved her from Russell and the Queen. I didn't know what else she wanted. My now red soaked shirt clung to my chest, as I remained still on her porch, kneeling in her doorway, fists banging against the barrier. She clung her hand to her chest as she watched me, and cried silently. I finally regained some control and slowly stood up. I looked down, refusing to see the pity on her face, and turned and flew to the sky. I needed to fucking beat the shit out of something and then fuck and drain it dry. Now.

AN: Sooo, what do you think so far? Review please! I love you all! :-)

BTW, I am not homophobic or anything, I feel some of Eric's insults or thoughts may seem that way, but he is a little cruel and likes to taunt people, and I am just trying to portray him the way I see him in TB, he or I are not homophobes,... just making sure you all know that! ALSO, there will be a somewhat cruel, sex scene next chapter, so in warning, if you don't like it, don't read it, it isn't too bad, but you may think down on the person,... he is only doing those things because he is a very angry vampire. :-)

Anyways, Review Button is thata wayyyy ''''''''\ (AHA THERE IS NO DOWN ARROW, CRAPOLA!)