Where Have You Been?

Bill had left Sookie and Eric alone in his office to speak privately for a few moments. No matter how much Bill hated it she had feelings for Northman and there was nothing that Bill could do to change that. After Willa's outburst he had requested of both of them to give he and Eric a moment alone, sensing Sookie's hesitance he gave her a soft re-assuring smile that he would not do anything to hurt him.

The last thing he wanted to do now was to hurt her. Closing the double doors to his office his hands rested of the cool wood with his back to Northman. Slowly turning around he met the weakened glare of the elder vampire that stood almost slouched on the spot.

"We all assumed that you had met the true death" he opened the conversation.

Eric kept his eyes half open. Even with his attire the black veins of Hep V showed clearly on the upper part of his chest. He felt weak, sluggish. Even know he knew that a measly vampire like Bill could probably take him out.

He shrugged, knowing Pam would berate him for giving Bill even the time of night.

"That would be far too convenient for you wouldn't it?" he said. He knew Sookie loved him, even if they couldn't be together and she had dated that stupid wolf, there was love and concern in her eyes for him. She didn't want him to die and as much as he wanted to fulfill that wish, there was no hope for a cure right now.

"So....what is this about you no longer being an asshole?"

Bill shook his head in disbelief and turned from the doors and headed towards Eric standing before him raising his head to gaze at the 1000 Viking towering above him.

"As much as you care to believe Eric, I never wanted you to die. Not like this" he explained to him.

Bill disliked Eric and to the point that he once envied him and what he had and how he could make the one woman he loved fall for him.

"It is true...Although your attitude and choice of words have not changed" he smirked a little "...I am not speaking to you as your king Eric, we both know that you do not follow authority...Where have you been Eric? Leaving Willa without a Maker, very irresponsible of you"

Eric shrugged. "The humans won Bill.... for once in my 1000 years of existence the humans have managed to take everything from me. Godric, Nora and now...even my own life. Pam has already lost her own progeny...and I grew tired of it all"

He moved to settle better on the chair, his head hanging to one side like he was sleepy.

"I wished to see the world one more time... I had hoped to stay in sweden but... I accidentally triggered an avalanche" he said, a smile curving his lips as the memory amused him.

"Surely Eric that loosing Godric and Nora would only make you want to fight?" he pondered.

Bill moved around to stand by his desk after watching Eric take a seat and could see that he was weak.

"I dare not ask how you triggered an avalanche but I assure that it was needed?" he questioned the elder vampire.

Sitting in front of Bill was not the vampire that he knew, it was as thought Northman had given up.

"I have heard that Hido Takahashi and his team that synthesized human blood is working to figure out the basic compound of Hep V Eric. There may a chance, a slim chance that he could cure this" he explained.

Eric smirked, closing his eyes. "always...the foolish optimist. But I suppose since it is your fault hep V has spread the way it has... it is only logical you now find a cure" he said bluntly.

"A pity you aren't God anymore... then maybe you could be somewhat useful" he added as he groaned. He was really hungry now and he needed to feed. Plus he needed to keep on moving since Pam and him were hunting that slut newlin.

"Eric I never claimed that I was a god...I believed that I was doing Lilith's work, I was her prophet. Her blood and Warlow's would not help cure Hep V....." he ended in a whisper.

Bill knew that their blood would not help, he could only hope that Mr Takahashi would find a cure and reverse the process of what Governor Burrell created.

"...It wouldn't have saved Nora"

"We don't know that....but you didn't want to fight with your precious Sookie to find out" he said as he opened his eyes. There was nothing but lethargy in them.

"She still loves me you know... " he said, managing a weak chuckle. "I wonder what she feels for you"

Bill fought back a growl that was trembling on his lips but did not allow himself to make it audible. He had already given Sookie an unspoken promise that he would not hurt Eric.

"This has nothing to do with Sookie. What I am doing is to help her save her friends...As her friend it is the least I owe her" he assured Eric with an almost threatening tone in his voice.

Eric chuckled weakly again. "yes... because you're not doing this to be her hero now that the wolf is dead" he said.

As if reminding himself of something he looked around the office. "Speaking of wolf....I hear you dumped Kiara... rumors in europe are that she's dead. Was she not up to par that you had her killed?" he asked, half baiting, half judging Bill's response.

"Clearly you come from a time when a man and woman cannot be friends Eric" he hissed through his teeth.

Bill promised Sookie he would not hurt Eric physically, but there was no mention that he could not respond verbally to his attacks. But what he heard next caused Bill to fall silent, Kiara was dead? It was impossible, she couldn't be dead. Eric clearly made a mistake, he must have heard that she had died and but not the full story that she was in fact alive.

"I never touched her Eric! She and I...We-We just didn't work out" he explained "....And clearly your facts are wrong, she is alive. I would have felt it if she had died" he snapped hoping that deep down that he was wrong.

Eric shrugged. Clearly not bothered if Kiara was alive or dead. "It is merely what I heard when I traversed through England on my way to South America" he said casually.

"Europe is a mess... queens in debt, some crazy rumors that the king of england met the true death and that somehow Kiara made her way to the UK and died there" he said in a bored tone.

"Perhaps she too wanted to see the world before she died"

"And what right do you have to speak of Kiara in that way? All she was to you was someone who supplied your tasteless club with donors. Nothing more. What she and I had was far more than that" he hissed again.

Kiara couldn't be dead. She couldn't, Bill would have felt it. Her blood was still in his system it had to be.

Eric smirked. "She was a good employee. Smart, didn't ask questions. She did her job and got paid well. You were foolish enough to turn her from a good worker to some messed up abused animal. She was...." he coughed, feeling blood slowly trickle out of his ear. "...was better... never meeting you"


"Face it Bill....every woman around you ends up broken, or dead"

Bill had enough of Eric.

He sped over to where Eric sat and grabbed hold of him by his jacket and pushed him against the wall, hearing photo frames shudder on the wall and some fall from their hooks.

"And what about you Eric! Sookie? Pam? Godric? Nora? Willa? You think you can have it all! Your own progeny doesn't want to know you! Godric would rather meet the sun! And Nora? She would have rather died than have you try to save her! What does that make you?" he sneered.

Eric didn't fight back, a sign of how tired he felt.

"Makes me an asshole Bill....but I've never pretended to be otherwise" he said calmly as he put his clammy veined hand on Bill's to push him aside.

"Enough pillow talk... I promised Sookie I'd offer her real help getting into Fangtasia tonight. I can't have her very well relying on you"

Bill could feel no force in Eric's attempted push but allowed him to break free of his grasp.

"It does not matter who she relies on Eric...In the end, I will be the one that keeps her alive" he spoke threateningly.

Bill knew that Eric would do everything to help Sookie and that even meant putting her life in danger to do it. But it would be Bill that would keep her alive. No matter the cost.

Eric managed a weak smile "Lets hope you do better this time...." he said as he slowly walked out of the office, Pam waiting for him impatiently already.

He had to tell her about their small change of plans right now, once they finished with fangtasia their search for Sarah Newlin would continue.