-

"TELL ME EVERYTHING, ALEXANDRA." ERIC watched as the young blonde fiddled with the apparently fascinating buttons on his black shirt, his head tilted when she stopped and looked up at him. His request was completely out of pure selfishness, the not knowing was killing him.

Their night together had only been filled with silence, though it was only an hour in. They were able to sneak past Sookie who was anxiously waiting on the couch to see if Bill would miraculously show up on the doorstep and embrace her in his arms. Eric turned his nose up at the sight of the girl's wasted potential. Bill Compton was one of many vampires that Eric could hardly stand and he didn't care who knew. He only tolerated him because he was trying his damnedest to understand exactly what Bill was up to with his human lover who just so happened to have special telepathic abilities.

Back to the matter at hand, Eric trailed his eyes over her face, watching her mouth open and close a couple times before she could fully form what happened to her into words. 

"I was actually unpackin' some of my boxes when I came across a picture of Jason, Hoyt, René, and me. I got an uneasy feeling and I looked up and I was in my old backyard, and I saw Ren-Drew Marshall was his real name. I saw him strangle me, and then Dawn, Maudette, Amy, and then the worst of it: I saw what he did to Gran." She whispered, staring blankly at the white ceiling. Eric felt a pang at his cold, dead heart. It hurt him, actually destroyed him to see her so vulnerable and scared. "the worst part is, I killed him. I had to, it was the only damn thing I could think to do before he killed me, Sookie, or Sam. I know he wasn't my best friend, I do know that. But at the same time, he was."

Eric tried to hide the surprise in his eyes as he looked down at Alexandra. His Alex had taken a life, to say he was impressed was a hell of an understatement, almost unbelievable. Sure, she was a wild ride and full of fire, but she also had an incredibly kind heart and old soul. It was incredibly hard for to picture her taking someone's life.

"You did the right thing. If there had been a way for me to day walk in order to save you, I would've killed him myself. Murder is a sick burden for a human like you to carry, but it was simply self defense. You cannot truly blame yourself for this." The low hum from Eric's hollow chest as he spoke relaxed Alex's figure enough to where she sunk deeper into him, which she didn't think was possible.

"I wish you could glamour me. Take all of it away. I wish I was normal." Her lips were now nuzzled into his neck, the cold from his skin giving her goosebumps. If he could've gotten the chills just then he would have, because the way her soft lips were touching his neck, it was driving him insane. Her words finally clicked in his head and he shifted down, lifting her head with just one finger.

"You know I would, in a second. But I would never wish for you to be normal. I know that you are carrying many burdens and one of them is your power, however, all of this is making you stronger. Even if you might not believe so right now, I believe you are one of the strongest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing in my entire existence. Humans usually don't impress me any but you always seem to." Eric's shiny blue eyes glowed in the dim lighting of her quaint bedroom. She was shocked at his gentle words and his soft voice. It emptied her heart that was full of grief and pain, and pumped it full with love.

Alexandra took a moment to let his words sink in. Her brain was running a million miles an hour and somehow the only words she could come up with were three words that could make or break everything they worked to achieve in their relationship. Her private thoughts were on full display to Eric, he didn't have to be a mind reader to see the gears in her mind working. 

The kick of courage Alex got to boost herself off of his chest to sit criss-cross and face him was a surprise to them both. She took another minute to gaze at him, though he didn't mind. Her eyes were heavenly, it was like he was back home staring in the sun for the first time in years. Her pupils were as black as night but still bright as day in his mind, and he couldn't help but raise his hand and caress her discolored cheek softly, so gently she barely felt his touch. Her pain was numbed, so much so, she felt she could do jumping jacks and still not be sore. The way he could make her feel after everything she had been through the past morning was miraculous.

Almost impossible.

"I love you, Eric Northman." The words slipped from her mouth so fast and so smooth she had to clamp her hand over it to stop the spill of apologies that were about to come out. She never felt so exposed, so raw that she couldn't hold her feelings back. Her past 'loves' were all thrown in the trash when she first locked eyes on him.

Eric raised up from his slouched position on her floral quilt, she let her hand drop from her mouth all the way down to rest on his thigh, while he brought his large hand up to gently cup her cheek, rubbing delicate circles with his thumb.  His tough and gruesome exterior had wasted away like a flower in the wind as he stared back at her. He slowly began to realize he was also vulnerable, but maybe the influence Godric was seeping through him. Some humans weren't just for food and for fucking. When Eric opened his mouth to display his full affection, he surprised himself by saying something he vowed to never say again to a human, "and I love you, Alexandra Stackhouse."

-

"I'm telling y'all, it was like a Goddamned scene from a movie. It's like he erased every inch of pain from me, and he can't even glamour me. I just- even after everything that happened yesterday, is it wrong for me to be happy?" Alexandra took a sip of her dark brewed drink before sitting the bottle back down onto the concrete porch. Hoyt took a moment to answer, while Jason stayed silent beside him, waiting on something supportive he could say but nothing was popping into his brain.

"Not at all, in fact, you deserve it. You've achieved true happiness, that's all anyone ever wants and if they say different they're lyin'." Hoyt pointed a stern finger at her. His response relieved her greatly, since she knew his mother would throw a shit fit if she ever knew about Alex dating a vampire. She gave him a light smile and raised her eyes to Jason who was chewing on his cheek, looking up at the sun to try and act like he wasn't listening. When Hoyt finally caught his gaze, he raised his eyebrows, signaling to Jase that he absolutely needed to say something.

Alexandra gave her brother an unreadable expression which made him shrug in response, "listen, I don't know how I feel about Eric. And not just 'cause he's a vampire, or 'cause he's taller than me either. You're my sister, Al, and even though we are the same age doesn't mean I don't want to protect you from shit like I do Sook. I just don't wanna see you get your feeling's hurt. I mean when have I ever liked a guy you were dating?" He questioned cockily, feeling good about his statement.

"When have you ever seen me this happy and actually in love." That was the only sentence Alex had to comeback with and it made Jason shut his mouth. He pursed his lips and cracked a smirk, "touché."

He brought his beer up to his lips and stole a sip, plopping it back down on the porch. Just then, the front screen door creaked open, revealing Sookie who gave then a soft smile, "I hate to interrupt your day drinking, but Jason I need your help packin' some boxes down? I'm still hurtin'." She looked over to him with her eyebrows raised and he sighed, standing up with a deep inhale.

"It's what I'm here for." He placed his hands on his hips with a goofy smile and followed her inside, leaving Hoyt and Alex to themselves.

"I miss him. It's fucked up, I know, and I hate that I miss him because he was completely fake and made up- but he was still one of our closest friends." Alex broke the silence, which surprised Hoyt. He inched closer to her, wrapping his arm around her gently, his hand avoiding her other shoulder so he wouldn't mess up her carefully wrapped sling.

"It ain't fucked up, Al. I miss him too, but I have to keep thinking that wasn't him." Alex could tell he was hurting, possibly worse than her. Hoyt was a very sensitive man. which wasn't a bad thing by any means. She knew him better than she knew herself most of the time. She nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Jason broke up their moment by letting the door slam behind him, his hands full of boxes from Adele's room. Sookie and Alex had began cleaning it out that morning, after speaking about both of their nights. Alexandra had learned that Bill was alive and well, which was all she could ask for. Sookie seemed to be taking the whole situation better than anyone, which shocked her two siblings.

"Hoyt I could use some help, buddy." Jason grunted, carrying the Goodwill boxes down the stairs and onto the green grass. Hoyt stood quickly and glanced at his watch, giving Alex a small smirk.

"Sorry, J, I gotta be at work in about five minutes. I would if I could. You still comin' back on Wednesday?" He gave Alex a peck on the head before tossing his beer in the big black trash can beside the stairs. Jason pursed his lips, giving his best friend an annoyed look.

"That's the plan, thanks for the help." Sarcasm dripped from his tongue, making Hoyt chuckle as he walked to his truck, swinging his keys on his finger as he went. Alex stood, slowly, knowing if she went fast her whole body would fall right back down onto the concrete. Her mind was swimming in a cesspool of different emotions, the one that fully reached the surface, was the one she had been rooting for ever since she was a little girl. Love.

She opened the screen door and propped it open, letting the warm breeze of the sweet Louisiana winds gust in the house, which was something they hadn't done in a while. But with no killer on the loose, and everything calm and cool, it was about damn time.

"Jase, thanks for helpin' us around the house. I know you don't like to talk about her but, Gran would be so proud of you." She clapped him on his shoulder with her free hand. He paused for a minute and nodded, avoiding her gaze. He was getting ready to walk back inside and help Sookie with the rest of the boxes when he turned around abruptly.

He silently wrapped his arms around her, squeezing gently. Alex knew it had been hard on him, keeping his feelings bottled up didn't help, but that's how he was. After their moment, they both helped Sookie load things into boxes, eventually leaving them with an almost empty shell of a room.

After a while of driving back and forth to Goodwill and dropping boxes at Jason's, they finally sat down at the kitchen table. Three beers sat on the table in front of each sibling, which surprised the two older Stackhouse's to see their little sister drinking with them. it was a rarity, meaning only during her younger years and on holidays, some birthdays here and there.

To Sookie, it was like she was tired of holding back and being responsible all the time. She was kind of prudish, it was just the way she was raised, but most of that drifted away with her innocence. The near death experience she had made her realize that sometimes it was okay to get drunk and hang out with her brother and sister, even if they were going to drink her under the table.

And that was the exact promise Jason made to both of them, but in his mind he knew that Alexandra held the belt in that challenge.

"So Sook, I didn't get to hear what you think of Al's new beau. Maybe I'm not the only one who has their doubts?" Jason suggested, opening up their third round of bottles with the twist of his cotton shirt and hand. He plopped down beside the two, his eyes darting between his sisters.

Sookie scoffed, but her lightweight self couldn't help the goofy smile that appeared upon her face, "well, I don't really know Eric. I do know that him and Bill hate each other, which is probably just some alpha vampire-guy thing, but as long as he makes Alex as happy as Bill has made me, I ain't gotta problem with it."

"Now see Jase, not everyone hates vampires." Alex tapped his nose in her sing-a-long voice and watched as he waved her finger away with a chuckle. "Enough with the relationship talk, who wants to lose in a game of poker? I'll see if Hoyt can come, maybe even Bill can show up and play a hand?" Alexandra grinned, poking Sookie in the nose just like she had done to Jason.

"What the hell," Jason shrugged, "I don't have anything else to do." Alexandra smacked the table with her free hand, waiting on Sookie's hesitant gaze. She finally broke down, grabbing her phone from the table and shooting a text to her boyfriend.

"Sweet! I'll text Eric and tell him to not come down, then text that Fortenberry boy and tell him to high-tail his little ass down here!" She grinned from ear to ear, whipping out her phone and skillfully using her hand to sendall three of the texts. Jason and Sookie smiled at their sister, knowing she was enjoying every second of them hanging out together.

"Poker night it is." Sookie hummed.

authors note
hey guys! please vote and comment, leave your love, criticism, anything below!

guys if you read these (which i hope you do) i would so appreciate it if you could share this book. i love this story and i would love for more people to read it and give their feedback or any comments! so please help me out!

YO what's up people, i hope everyone is staying safe and sane in these weird times. i'm really hoping this whole situation gets resolved quickly, but until then writing is on the table for me!

this chapter is basically the end to season 1. i am going to continue chapter two in this book, just because i want to ;) and because i think if i didn't it would be kinda crowded.

<3

anyway i hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! it is dedicated to MaddyStorger thanks for being my friend and getting through this weird quarantine while talking to me! also thanks for all your love and support sista!

comment your favorite part of the chapter! i'd love to hear it!

thank you for all of the votes and comments we have gotten so far!

love mack