Born to love again

I wish I were the moon

She awoke feeling strangely rested as she nestled the covers comfortably over her chin, blonde eyelashes fluttering in no hurry to open but for once she didn't feel the need to fall right back to sleep again. It was although she had the energy to move, to prepare dinner and to live. Boy, did that feel strange after many months of not doing so. As she yawned and stretched her eyes wandered to her Gran's windowsill. The view was much more breathtaking than her old room and she treasured that she could wake up to the same scenes Gran once had, sitting in the same spot Gran sat so many years prior.

The moon shined bright and full, alerting her to the fact that she had slept through the day.

Sookie felt nostalgic at that, of all the times she had centered her life around the true creature of the night, her first ex-Bill. The way her world only rose when Bill rose, set when Bill set, and revolved around what Bill needed and when. Such is the life of dating a vampire, of being a zombie during the day that could only reanimate when he walked through her front door, of no longer enjoying her previously favorite activities like sunbathing or days off frolicking with her friends, of waking up realizing she was late to yet another shift and needed to call poor Arlene once again to cover for her.

Or maybe that was just the life of dating Bill Compton.

A noise from downstairs startles her from her thoughts, she draws the knife she kept underneath her pillow and holds it tight in her hands until her fingertips are white from the pressure. Slowly she walks down the stairs, her senses heightened by the fear, the floorboard creaks to her right just as she reaches the bottom–
Swinging her knife Sookie screams out in defiance, reminded of the times she's had to defend herself from intruders in her own home. Intruders seeking her life and then some.
Only to be stopped by a familiar scent, one of the north sea in winter and a pale hand. Eric.

Sookie's knife slips out of her hands and clatters to the floor, catching her breath as she stares into the slightly surprised eyes of her guest.
"Your reflexes have gotten better," Eric commented, reaching down to pick up her disarmed weapon, only, Sookie is quick to stop him, "It's Silver."

"All of it?" His eyes curiously watched as her fingers traced the metal handle and the metal blade, stopping at the tip, and pressing down lightly only to draw that vicious red liquid. Eric's eyes widened and his mouth opened to reveal his protracted fangs.

"Helps with the vampires and.. the humans," She hummed, "Took some self defense classes after the 'Rene' incident, I'm tired of being helpless," Sookie walked towards her counter, placing her knife on top. Smiling at her visitor to show she was unarmed was enough of a prompt for Eric. He steps towards her, his height carrying him to her faster than she had expected, or perhaps it wasn't his height but his supernatural speed.

Eric's hands gently grasped hers, as if they were dedicated, as if he could break them at the slightest touch. He probably could.
"May I?" Eric questioned. She had a first aid kit in the bathroom but she felt no need to tell him that when he was so close. She didn't speak a word, only nodding in consent. Sookie was prepared to open her mouth and ingest his blood but Eric only drew his thumb up to his fang, pricking it and drawing blood.

The crimson fluid was hypnotizing, especially after so many years without its presence.
Eric placed his thumb on her wound and within an instant her cut healed before her eyes, leaving no visible indication that anything had ever happened, and when she glanced at his thumb again his injury had disappeared as well.. And so did his fangs.
No matter how many times she had seen it before, living most of her life without the knowledge of vampires still made the experience wondrous.

But Sookie had no time to think about that. Rest had sharpened her mind and she was all too aware of the dangers an invited vampire might be in a human abode. His good looks wouldn't distract her from the fact that he shouldn't be here.
"Tell me why you are here Eric," Sookie didn't want any bullshit, she only needed the truth. And if there was ever any clear difference between him and Bill, it was that Eric wasn't afraid to give it to her.
Whatever it was that made Eric visit her after 4 years of distance, whatever it was Grandpa Niall had sent him for she needed to know about it right this instant.

"I'll tell you while you eat," Eric motioned towards her empty fridge. She played his game curiously and while she expected it to be empty, she hadn't gone shopping in weeks, it was now stocked to the brim. Full of fruits and vegetables, juices and water. Inside was a feast.
Curious, Sookie closed the fridge and looked into her pantry which was just as well stocked.
"You bought me food?"
"Well, I sure as hell can't eat human food now can I? And last I checked I'm the only one of us who can survive off blood." Eric grinned at her, full of teeth and charm.
Sookie took her choice of food, fresh strawberries and a bottle of NewBlood from out of her fridge.

She put the carton down between them as if she were putting up a barrier, sliding the NewBlood across the counter which Eric caught. She motioned Eric to speak, thinking better of questioning him about when he had the time to grab groceries, something about him standing in line in a supermarket amused her.

"When was the last time you talked to your Fairy Grandfather Sookie?"
"About half a year ago," She spat bitterly, "We had a pretty bad argument and I asked to never see him again." She muttered. Maybe asking to never see the one supe in her life she could viably trust was not a smart decision.
But hindsight was 20/20, he never showed himself before the 'Warlow' incident, and she couldn't bring herself to care about him after the harsh words they exchanged.

Eric acknowledged her reluctance to talk about him, "About a month ago Niall came to me, I had just finished shooting a scene and he told me that you were in danger. I see now that he was right."

"Danger?" Sookie scoffed incredulously, "If I were in danger wouldn't you have felt it? I'm safer than I have ever been in my entire life no thanks to you, or Niall or anyone else for that fucking matter. And who cares if I'm in danger? You never once cared enough to visit in the past 4 years since I've seen you, so why start now?"
"Because Sookie, this was your Fairy Grandfather himself, visiting me personally."
"So if he never came to you, you wouldn't have visited? You would've been content to never speak or hear from me again?" She felt those goddamn tears start to well up but she was tired of crying, so she gritted her teeth in anger instead.

"It was better for you," Eric protested, and even as the words left his mouth he looked ashamed.

Sookie felt as if she were on the edge of hysteria, "Eric Northman you do not get to decide what is better for me. I'm my own person thank you. You do not get to abandon me at the point of my life when I needed you the most and then tell me that you leaving was the best fucking option you could think of. That's just cowardice, because look at me Eric!" Sookie's eyes shot up from off the counter and into his deep blues. "Look at me and tell me that this is me doing better without you?" She mocks. She knew how she looked, greasy matted hair, an unpleasant thinness.
When he gave no response she huffed in exasperation, "Thats what I fucking thought." She took a breath, "What else did he say?"

Eric shrugged nonchalantly, leaning ever so slightly away from her.
"He only told me that he would meet us at the cemetery, after I got all my affairs in order and left Pam in charge I came to find you."
Sookie shakily closed her eyes, "The goddamn cemetery." She outta swear it off for good, because nothing good had ever come from her visiting the cemetery. She steadied herself.

"Let me change out of my nightgown would you?"
Eric nodded respectfully. It only took a moment, Sookie wasn't feeling the particular need to dress up for the man who left her at her lowest. Throwing on a white Tweety bird tee and blue jeans she grabbed her bag, sticking her knife into it before slipping into comfortable shoes.

Eric was waiting for her outside. Sookie only raised her arms presumptuously, wrapping them around his cool neck comfortably, as much as she could reach anyhoo. It felt as though they were meant to be there, and the way they looked around his clavicles tickled something inside of her. "Give me a lift?" She asked hastily out of what little politeness she had left. "It's faster than the car." She glanced mournfully at her Yellow Honda Civic.

Eric chucked at her remorse, holding onto her back and waist tightly, securely.
Flying with Eric was like riding a rollercoaster, only he was too fast to even feel scared at the possibility of the drop. Being in the air with him was like nothing she had ever experienced with anyone she had ever been with. As far as she knew him and Pam were the only vampires that could do it.
She had never seen Bill fly, never taken a joyride and all the other vampires she knew were probably too young to learn, if that was even how it worked.

Except for Warlow, but she wasn't much interested in flying with fucking Warlow now was she?
They stopped at the entrance of the 'Bon Temps Cemetery.' This is where everyone she had ever loved was buried. Her parents, Gran, Tara, Bill, all of them resting in the same place. Before she knew it, Sookie was the one leading the way. The cemetery was right behind her Grans house, separating them from the Compton manor. She had walked the grounds too many times to count, she knew it as if it were her second home and they trekked until they reached a familiar grave.

William Compton
1835 - 1865
Loving husband, father

There were fresh flowers at the grave, perhaps left by Bill's progeny, Jessica. Sookie choked back the tears. Kneeling into the ground before tracing over the words. This was the grave of her first love.
"You want to know the most fucked up part of all this?" Sookie chuckled humorously, Eric hummed, "I still love him. After 4 fucking years, after I killed him with my own hands, after he let me get brutalized by the Rattrays, after he nearly drained me dry and almost raped me. I still love him."

She let out a shaky breath, "If I can even call it love. I love him but I will never forgive him and I will never forgive myself."
She stood dusting the dirt off her jeans, "I killed him with my own hands after almost giving up what made me special, for him, and all I can say right now is good fucking riddance."

"I'm glad that you agree." Came the aged voice behind her. Eric's fangs extended in defense and surprise, Sookie's hands had found themselves in her purse clutching her knife hard in her grip. She spun around to face her Fairy Grandfather, King Niall Brigant.

"Now, put those fangs away, and that knife missy." Nial shot a sharp glance at her purse.
"Grandpa Niall whatever this is that you put Eric up to, I am not in the mood for it so you better spit it out."

Niall only waved her off, before his palms started glowing in faerie magic. "Better yet, I'll show you."

Niall grabbed onto the shoulders of both Sookie and Eric. Before they knew it they had been transported.

To Sookie, it felt different from every other trip she had to the Faerie world. This one pushed and pulled at her gut to the point where it hurt like hell, and suddenly the air tastes different. Not just taste, it smells different, feels different. They weren't in a cemetery anymore, but in the middle of a dense forest meadow. A forest that had no place being in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She leaned back onto Eric's chest. The way he breathed heavily even though he had no reason struck her hard, this trip was just as hard on him, if not harder than Sookie's. When they pulled themselves together Grandpa Niall was nowhere to be found. "Grandpa Niall?" Sookie called out, testing the way it sounded on her throat. Before screaming, "Grandpa Niall!"

Only to get no response in return.