Let me down

{He was finally home from a long week away. The job down in Thibodeaux had brought in extra revenue for the business and the people there were nice. The last hurricane had messed up some of the homes there, but with his team he would have it fixed in no time. It was late, around ten at night. The lights were off and he assumed she'd be asleep. Probably worked all day or just getting off. Maybe relaxing in the tub. That thought made him grin. He missed her and he couldn't wait to see her again. Their phone conversations had been different, she was quieter than usual. He had a gut feeling something might have happened, maybe more vampires. Wouldn't surprise him at all. Sam agreed to watch over her while he was away, keeping an eye on the house and her well being. Sookie was stubborn and she attracted dangers. It was just in her nature.

Setting his bag down by the door as he walked in, he closed the door and locked up. The house was quiet and dark. He quietly made his way up the stairs to her bedroom to see if she was awake. He opened the door and saw that she was in bed, her back to him.}

"Sookie?"

She could feel Bill's presence at his house; she wasn't sure what he was doing, but could tell he was content, and that made her heart happy. But as soon as she heard Alcide's truck pull up in the drive, all that went away.

What did she say to him? How did she tell him that she had screwed up, and badly? She didn't want to hurt him, didn't want him to think she was like Debbie. She shivered and closed her eyes tightly before saying his name softly. "Alcide, hey. Welcome home..."

{He cocked a brow when she spoke softly but didn't turn around. He crawled in behind her and placed a hand on her arm.} "Sookie....are you okay?" {He inhaled deeply and could smell the lingering, fading scent of vampire.}

"Sookie, are you hurt?" {He pulled her so that she rolled to her back and his eyes caught site of the bite marks on her neck, the moon giving him enough light to see. His eyes glowed as his rage soared. He growled and stood from the bed.}

"I'll kill the vampire who did this. Who did this Sookie? WHO?"

She shook her head.

"It wasn't like that. I promise.... He was...."

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes as she focused on his arms wrapped around her, but still she couldn't rid herself of the thought of Bill's body against hers, his lips on hers. She had almost let it go too far, but she had stopped.

"He was dying. I couldn't just let him die...." She cleared her throat, her voice still quiet. "Please don't hate me."

{He narrowed his eyes as she explained, he tried to understand but he wasn't following. She made no sense.}

"You...you willingly fed...a vampire?" {Then, it all came together. He growled low in his throat and looked away from her.}

"Which one was it....Bill or Eric?" {He cut his eyes back to her.} "I know it's one of them. Sookie, dying or not, why you insist on putting yourself in their vampire shit I will never understand." {He was so angry he began to pace.}

She let a tear fall down her cheek, then wiped it away; she wouldn't apologize, not for this. Bill was her friend, and he was dying. That was what mattered, his life!

"It was Bill. And I didn't plan it. I just....."

She shrugged and let her shoulders fall as another sigh slipped from her lips. He was mad.

{He glared at her and his eyes changed as his inner wolf fought to get out.} "Sookie, you know he could have killed you. Hurt you. He's done it before. Don't you remember all the crap he put you through...and you go and help him."

{He rubbed his temples in an attempt to calm himself. She was so stubborn and she always did what she wanted no matter the consequence. She could and would never let vampires out of her life. He stopped pacing and dropped his hands, looking at her with such a disappointed look.} "I thought you were done with those fangers."

{He shook his head and looked down, not meeting her eyes. By the way she acted, he feared the worst. Debbie had cheated on him and it broke his heart, but Sookie...she was different. So he prayed to God she was.} "Anything....else I should know about?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head adamantly.

"No. It... It could have been worse, but I stopped." Her voice got slightly frantic. "I stopped it because I couldn't do that to you! I'm not Debbie, and I swore I'd never do you like she did."

Did she tell him just how far it had almost gone? That they kissed and it was all she could do not to rip his clothes off and let him rip off hers. She shook again and let out a shaky breath.

"I am done.... romantically. But he's my friend, Alcide." Her voice trailed off and she turned to meet his gaze. "Please... please don't be mad."

{His face fell as she spoke, his mind going to places he never thought it would.} "Worse? How worse Sookie? What could have been worse? What aren't you saying to me, just say it damn it." {She brought up Debbie and he assumed she was reading his mind, so instead of saying it...he thought it.}

Fuckin' fanger, she should have let him die. Bill ain't done nothing for her but nearly kill her time and time again. He wasn't good enough for her and yet she kept going back. Now she saves his life, she thinks I'm supposed to be okay with that? Did she have his blood too? Did she sleep with him? Or did she almost sleep with him and that's why it could have been worse? I should kill the fanger my damn self

She shook her head against the tears and let out a small gasp when she heard his thoughts; they hurt more than she had thought that they would.

"Bill loved me, Alcide," she said quietly, ignoring his first questions about what she wasn't saying to him. She knew it would just hurt him more, even though she had stopped it. She hadn't let it go far. Because she loved Alcide. She loved him!

"I know you're not okay with it, but it happened. I saved his life, and I'd do it again. I didn't sleep with him, though. I promise you that...." She cleared her throat and spoke so softly she was surprised if he could hear her. "I had his blood."

{he shook his head in disbelief that she would admit she'd do it again. She continued to say she didn't sleep with him but he did wonder how close she came. He backed up more, putting space between them. Her whisper was clear and loud to his wolf senses and he balled his fists at his side. Without thinking, he slammed his fist into the drywall behind him. The wall shattered around his hand making a nice hole with his fist. He growled and had his back to her, bringing his fist from the wall as he spoke}

"Damn it Sookie. I thought you were different. You let me down." {he didn't turn around.}

"I'm sorry, Alcide!"

She stood from the bed, her Tweety Bird shirt falling down to cover the tops of her legs; it took her mere seconds to cross the floor so she was next to him. Her chest was against his back, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her lips against his back and holding him close to her.

"I'm so sorry. It didn't mean anything, and it won't happen again. If it makes you happy, I'll stay away from him. I won't go near him alone. But please... Please don't make me choose between you two. I can't. I won't. But I will... exercise caution?" She kissed between his shoulder blades and tightened her grip around him, muttering into his back. "I love you and I don't want to lose you."

{he shut his eyes as she spoke, not wanting to believe that she could hurt him like Debbie had time and time again. Sookie was different. She had to be different. Feeling her arms slip around him, he kept his hands against the wall, his head down. He wanted to react to her touch, but he was repulsed that she would go back to that fanger, save his life and on top of it all, contaminate her body with his blood. He heard the words he longed to hear for weeks now, words she never spoke until now and it...angered him. He stepped out of her hold and turned to face her, his face full of pain as he shook his head.}

"If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation and you wouldn't be apologizing. I have to go, I have to run before I say or do something I'll regret."

{he was angry, he was hurt and he felt like this was the start of her not being able to choose him or Bill. He was damn tired of being hurt and damn tired of vampires ruining his life. He grabbed the handle on the door and stormed out towards the stairs}

"Alcide! Don't walk away from me!"

She bolted out the door towards him, reaching out and grabbing his shirt to turn him around so she could see his face.

"Did you not hear what I said? I. LOVE. YOU." She said each word exaggeratedly, and popped him on the chest with each one. She would be damned if she let him walk out and not talk about it.

"We are in a relationship, right?" She didn't wait for his answer before continuing. "Which means we have to talk to work things out. I want this to work, Alcide. I don't want this to end up like everybody else's relationship. I love you. And I want to be with you." She took a breath. "I choose you."

{he growled when she tugged at his shirt and made him turn to face her. His anger was still raging and his body shook slightly from his inner wolf needing to get out. He clenched his jaw as she spoke, trying to believe her.}

"Sookie, I'm tired of being lied to and strung along. If you have the slightest doubt about us, the smallest care or love for Bill...I won't and refuse to compete with that. I refuse to convince you that you should stay with me. But I also refuse to let you share blood bonds with your exs. So if I'm what you want, and only what you want...this stops now. This ends here Sookie stackhouse. No. More. Vampires."

{he looked at her hard, waiting for her to make her choice. It was him or the fangers. She couldn't have both.}

She gulped, staring up at him and letting her mind wander.

They could have kids. They could have a semi-normal life. Marriage, kids, growing old together....

But with Bill. There were no children, no growing old together, no grandkids sitting on their knees while they rocked in their rockers while watching the sun go down.

She looked up at him, letting all of her love and caring shine through her eyes, all the while knowing that Bill would be able to feel her emotions through their bond.

"I choose you, Alcide. I want you. I love you."

{he waited, watching as she seemed to think hard for a few seconds before she finally spoke. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding and sighed softly.} "No more vampires. Say it. I need to hear you say it."

{he waited for her to give him peace of mind. He'd take her word for it, he'd believe her. He just prayed it wasn't a mistake to.}

She didn't know what to do; did she completely forgo her friendship with Bill or did she stand up to Alcide and tell him she would be friends with whomever she wanted?

Her friendship with Bill was important, but this relationship with Alcide was even more important; she loved him. She loved him, of that she was certain. And she was willing to make sacrifices so that they could be happy together.

"I.... I...." She took a deep breath and swallowed thickly before looking him in the eyes. "I won't go to Bill's house anymore. I choose you. No more vampires."