Dead Tired: Resurrection
Chapter 1
Prelude
**
December 31st
*Sookie’s POV*
Pam told me to be patient. She’d coached me on the situation at hand. She explained that with the takeover, things would be hard for a while. “Eric is under a microscope” were her exact words. Knowing what was going on helped me to understand why Eric and I needed to keep a distance, but it did nothing for the waiting.
That’s what I had Alcide and a few other supe friends for. Alcide and I had been hanging out a lot recently, going to movies and lunch. We’d been practically inseparable.
Eric had Pam call me every week to check in, but he hadn’t been able to completely stay away… As he always had, he made sure I knew that he was thinking of me in his own way. Of course, that used to mean that he’d show up unannounced and usually at a bad time and I’d pick a damned fight with him. With the new situation though, he got creative…
For Halloween he sent an arrangement of orange roses with red tips; the card read ‘get well soon from thE Fangtasia staff.’ The capitalized E was my clue, as though I didn’t already know that I wasn’t sick, but it made me smile.
A couple weeks later Pam, Amelia and I went out dancing together… During a trip to the restroom, I found myself wrapped in his arms. A small dose of something we’d both been lacking… He told me that he missed me and then disappeared through the back door, leaving me to wonder how long he’d been lurking, if he’d been waiting for me or if he’d been just as surprised by the opportunity as I was…
Another couple of weeks went by and I returned home from work to find that someone had put Christmas lights up while I’d been gone and even though Merlotte’s secret Santa price limit was set at $10, I got a brand new blood red iPod.
Once in a while, I would clear a table to find a Fangtasia napkin with a note scribbled on it such as ‘soon’ or ‘it’s killing me’.
I wanted nothing more than to accept the invitation to Fangtasia’s New Year’s party, but I used work as an excuse not to go. Pam told me that Eric was disappointed until she explained my reason to him… I wasn’t up for pretending to be ‘just another employee’ on our anniversary… well, it was kind of an anniversary.
**
That night at Merlotte’s was an exercise in futility and my mood only made everything worse. Everyone was swamped, there were more fights than usual (even for a drinking holiday), customers were nastier, the kitchen was backed up… and I really just wanted to go home and cry because I couldn’t shake thoughts of Eric, but I motored through it even though it seemed like everyone for three parishes had coverged on Merlotte’s.
Everyone, including Bill Compton.
Bill entered the bar and, as usual, went directly to sit in my section. When I tried to take his order, he faked a smile and asked if I knew where my New Year’s kiss was coming from. I was almost as sickened as Sam at the invitation, but while Sam was choking on Bill’s slathered sweetness, I was fighting with the weight in my chest over spending the holiday without Eric. I only accepted because I knew Bill would be persistent. I’d kissed him plenty of times before and figured I could live through it again. I had told him that I wanted to remain friends even if I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him anymore.
The closest to crying I got all night came at the stroke of midnight. When everyone around me got to kiss the one they loved, instead of stretching up to the tips of my toes only for my handsome blond vampire to still need to bend to give me the kiss that I’d been dreaming about, I was eye to eye with the asshole who’d lied his way into my life and refused to leave me alone.
It wasn’t bad enough that I wanted to be in Shreveport with Eric, but I was forced to fight off my over-eager ex. Bill had no idea that his idea of encouraging me had me so close to hitting him.
The bar couldn’t get cleaned up fast enough for my taste. It was just another chore to get through until I could do what I wanted; go home, go to bed and put the long miserable night behind me.
When we were all done, I practically ran through the back door, only to feel Sam right behind me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky enough that he was just making sure I got to my car ok like he had a hundred other times.
He called after me, “Sookie, wait a sec. I need to talk to you.”
I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to go home and listen to the iPod that Eric had been so sweet about preloading with songs. When I first noticed that some of the memory was used, I thought I’d find naked pictures of him like his calendar pose and dirty music that would make me blush too much to enjoy even in private. Instead the only picture was one of us dancing that had somehow survived the hotel being bombed and the music was stuff that I liked, an extension of my limited CD collection that must’ve come back with his returned memory…That iPod was the closest I could be to him. For the past couple of months, I hadn’t missed him like I had when he first left my house after the witch war.… I felt like the Eric I knew was dead and buried, but everything was different since he got his memory back… The Eric I loved wasn’t dead, it was just that I was the only one he showed that Eric to…by then though, I’d have taken anything I could get.
I braced myself, took a cleansing breath and turned around…
But when my eyes met Sam’s he was closer than I expected and without any kind of warning, mental or otherwise, he grabbed the sides of my face and pulled my face to his.
*Eric’s POV*
For the second time that night, I felt Sookie become so angry that I wanted to hit someone.
Still keeping my end of our bond closed, as it had been for far too long, I watched from the wooded area surrounding the ramshackle bar. I was quietly amused that the Shifter still had so little understanding of Sookie’s relationship with me. His unwelcome kiss was over quickly… While I’m sure that he hoped Sookie would swoon, over the idea of sexual assault no less, he wasn’t exactly pleased to be shoved away from her.
He snarled at her histrionically. “Damn it Sookie! Why won’t you give me the time of day? You know how I feel about you.”
A better vantage point might’ve given me the chance to see her beautiful eyes roll at him as she spat her reply. “Sam. We’re friends. You’re my boss. I care about your feelings, but I love someone else.”
The Shifter scoffed, unwilling to accept that Sookie wouldn’t want him. “You mean Alcide? You’re just a trophy to him!”
“Alcide and I are none of your business, boss. But for the record, we’re just good friends. He’s not who I’m talking about.”
“So you’re back on the vampire, huh? Is that what you really want, to be treated like property?” She’d been ‘property’ for long enough and that was over; he just didn’t know it yet.
“Sam Merlotte! You’re one to talk. You’re acting like you found me in a lost and found box!”
“You’re better than that. He doesn’t love you. He can’t love you!” I took a step forward, considering which way I’d end him… As wrong as he was, I would’ve been doing him a favor that he didn’t deserve.
“No, Sam. I’m better than this. Eric can and does love me. More importantly he does everything he can to make sure I know it, which is why I do belong to him!” She spun around quickly, storming towards her eyesore of a car, but she stopped herself as she felt an evil streak. “All things considered, I’ll make sure he knows that some people think me to be insufficiently claimed!”
I couldn’t help but smile. The fact that Sookie proclaimed that she loved me and declared that I owned her aside, my imagination ran riot of the ways I was going to be claiming her… as soon as possible.
I watched her ugly little death trap rattle out of sight, tempted to follow her, but the lingering look of shock and disgust on her Shifter’s face was just too much of a draw.
The expression only became more exaggerated as I stepped out of the shadows, approaching him slowly enough to make him more anxious with each of my steps until the air around him was rife with fear.
Words weren’t necessary. All it took for Sam to get the message was a simple smile. My smile said everything: I won. She’s mine. You lost. She’s not yours…
He was smart enough to know I was rubbing it in that Sookie had just advertised her feelings for me.
As hard as it was for me to keep my hands to myself instead of pummeling Sam for touching my bonded, I didn’t want to waste the time.
I was barely off the ground when I heard Sam call me an asshole under his breath. The funny part was that he thought it bothered me.
**
I tracked Sookie through the air just as I’d done so many other nights in the recent weeks to make sure her long shifts wouldn’t leave her too exhausted to sense trouble waiting for her when she arrived at home. It wasn’t as though Sookie had much practice at getting any peace…
I watched her slow down as she drove through the area she’d found me in just a year earlier. I’d questioned how much, how fast, how willing she’d be to be mine completely so many times since I’d gotten my memories back… Watching her look for me, feeling her disappointment, like she was clinging to hope that she’d get to see me made me that much more anxious to have the talk that had become a haunting for me… She’d been so reluctant in the past that she’d resorted to bribery before giving me any information about the time I’d lost.
My original plan had been to be waiting there for her. That was the spot I originally landed, but that had been a couple hours earlier. I’d stood on the roadside, fondly replaying memories of Sookie to myself while I waited, but my anxiety had gotten the best of me and I’d gone to search her out. I could feel that she was frustrated and unhappy, having the occasional spike of anger and sadness. I didn’t expect for her to take so long and needed to settle my curiosity.
I watched from the sky as Sookie trudged into the house that wasn’t nearly good enough for her and circled the area to make sure nothing had followed her. Compton hadn’t even been creeping around in the cemetery like he usually was when I visited.
I quietly entered the house to the sounds of Karmacoma playing from Sookie’s bedroom, pausing as each room came into view, each space reminded me of something I wanted more of. Sookie and the way she made me feel within those simple walls.
When I finally reached the bedroom, Sookie was already close to sleep, exhausted by her long shift and all of the collateral stress that had come with it.
Since the takeover, that bed had been in my thoughts every morning when I died. The smell of that room and the sight of her bed had been all it had taken to bring my lost time back to me. I’d been resisting her for far too long. I’d let myself lapse to sneak the occasional moment with her, but I’d already stayed away from Sookie Stackhouse for longer than I wanted to.
I sat on the side of the bed, sliding my shoes off silently. I had every intention of staying with her for the night and was willing to stay in that horrid little ‘hidey hole’ of Compton’s if it meant being close to Sookie.
When I turned around, her eyes were on me. I was suddenly worried that she’d be unhappy to see me or think I had some ulterior motive because of her instant aggravation.
She was close to tears as she scooted closer, putting her arm over my waist to rest her head on my chest. She muttered sleepily, “Crazy Sookie snuggles with her imagination. How sad is this?”
I smiled sympathetically at the top of her head, understanding because of how cruel my own imagination had been to me… I was grateful for the contact even if Sookie thought she was imagining me. To be honest about it, the idea that she wanted to see me enough to hallucinate being together gave me a twisted sense of hope.
Listening to her breathe, feeling her heartbeat… it was almost enough for me.
I waited until it was almost too late for me to get back to Shreveport; I’d basked in her scent for as long as I possibly could.
I felt high on the possibilities as I scribbled a note inviting her to go out the next night, completely certain that if I stayed, she could have fallen into old habits of being suspicious of me.
So many things had changed. Pretending to own her and nothing more wasn’t necessary since Madden had finally gone back to his corner of Louisiana and deCastro had returned to Las Vegas.
I could be with her again.
I was free to love her just like I promised I would.
EricIzMine FanFiction 
I’m so glad that you’re re-posting this! I love that you named it “The Resserection”. Can’t wait for more! You and your betas rock!
I loved it the first time around, and I can’t wait to read it all again!
*squeals like a schoolgirl* You have no clue how freaking happy I am that you posted this!!! I love the changes even more than I loved the original!
first: YAY!!
then: woah. i was so not expecting the epov. at all.
i loved original story. even though you profess it needs work, i whole-heartedly disagree. that being said, i’m approaching this resurrection as i would a new story and can’t wait to see what else you’ve changed!
OH I’m SO SO glad you decided to revisit this! I love this story and the revamp is fab so far! I can’t wait to read more. (hopefully soon?)
James
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am so happy you are re-posting this story! I love how you wrote in both POV’s in one chapter. I can’t wait for more!
I would give you my first born and left nut (if I had either of them) for resurrecting and spit shining this great story. Thanks to you and all your beta squad.
This is going to be good to re-discover this story again 🙂
I’m so excited your reposting this story. I think this is my all time favorite. I absolutely love your Sookie in this story. Plus the relationship with the four of them was great. More please….
I didn’t catch tthe original in time before you took it down so I’m glad you’re back on it. I like the snuggling with her imagination part.
Awesome revamp! I can’t wait to reread the story! I loved it so much the first time, that I have read it from begining to end at least 4 or 5 times! I am not normally a rereader of stories! It normally bores me to death when I already know what is going to happen. But I love your story so much, that I have reread it and I can’t wait to reread it again, revamped! I love how Sookie overthrows Victor and Felipe! They never see her coming! Love it! I can’t wait for more revamped chapters! You go Girl! I am happier than a pig in slop!! LOL!
When I am bored and nothing strikes my fancy I come to this story to read. I have read it 4 or 5 times and deeply enjoy it each time. For me rereading a story is like visiting with an old friend. I feel like you have given more insite into what Eric and Sookie are thinking and feeling. I am looking forward to reading this story. It will be like seeing a new friend and finding our some of their deep dark secrets. Great job.
love it! I’m looking forward to rereading it as it comes!
Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!
I know you worked hard to get this prologue out and to get it right. The time you spent was well worth it. I think the changes you made really brought all the POVs together nicely while keeping the emotional flow going.
I can’t wait to read more. Thanks for revamping the series.
I absolutely loved this chapter. I can barely remember the first chapter of DT since it’s been so long since I’ve read it, but I do remember the wonderful relationships between the four of them. I can’t wait to see how you approach that story line this time around.
I think it would have been enough to continue the old one, imho, but I’m always glad to get chapters of your writing in any form.
can’t wait for more.
xoxo
Gaby
SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE IT~ this was the story that originally turned me on to you as a writer! So it has a special place in my heart! I really like the idea of combining the POVs into one chapter because a lot of the time there is too much overlap! But I am loving this. Cant wait for more!
i enjoyed it the first time around…getting the re-vamped ( I know bad *grin*) is fantastic…
*Squeals like the Fangirl I am*
Now that I have finished texting, calling, e-mailing and IMing everyone I know to tell them the revamp of DT is up I can now do this.
*Bows over and over*
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This was the fist story of yours that I read and got me hooked on you. I have read the original so many times I have lost count but I always came back for more. I LOVED the original and I am LOVING the revamp. I can’t wait for more.
I hadn’t realized how much your writing has improved until I read this revamp. I had been reading Dead Tired over again because I’m a geek like that so it’s still very fresh in my mind, so the difference was really clear to me. You’ve gained the ability to let the reader’s know what another character is thinking without leaving a set POV behind which is a lot harder than it seems. Also, I like how you now use subtler transitions and slip in background info for the readers more smoothly. Overall I can still see that unique perspective and tone that drew me to your stories in the first place presented in a much more flowing way. I can’t wait to see what other effects this project will have on your writing and getting to read more of your awesome stories of course ;D.
Well done. You’ve tightened it up and included all the important things.
It makes sense.
Well, I didn’t get a chance to read this the first time around, but this story seems very interesting! Enjoyed the chapter!
Yeah so happy to see this up and running. I was so upset when I thought this was gone. Thankyou and I love you
always happy when you post, thanks, appreciate the chance to read this again.
love it. totally.
loved 1’st version, this one is muuuuch better.
I love the opportunity to re-enjoy this fic! You make all our dreams come true!! Thank you
I was so excited to see this. It’s going to be better than ever. Thank you so much.
aw i love it loved it the first time and it will be even better this time around!!
very excited for more!!
I love this story and was sooo sad when there was no more! Im soo glad to reread this story and still its like new!!! YAY!!! Can’t wait for more!! xoxo :))
I am very intrigued by the changes to the story and curious to see where this re imagining will go.
Thank you for reposting this story.
I’ll admit I wasn’t hooked the first time I attempted to read it, giving up after a few chapters, but I’m willing to give it another shot.
The prologue was really brilliant. I cannot remember if the original text was much different, but I know I love this version for some reason.
Please keep up the good work.
This is going to be “Fantastic”. I didn’t think you could improve perfection but you have proved me wrong. This is going to be one great ride.
Awwwwww… I’m very excited to re-read this one, it’s such a goody. I think it may be what originally brought me to you. It was not so long after that I fell in love. 😉
You and your team are awesome! More please.
The Resurrection is brilliant. So I will just come out and say ‘I was wrong’ your story can be improved…thanks really enjoyed it
nice…I can already see a differnce…alot less questions, alot more perspective.
I’ve just finished re-reading DT on FF.net n was gutted not be able to finish it since not all the chaps you had on here aren’t up on there (i may, have sent you a msg on FF asking about the possibility of the missing chaps being posted, Sorry!). So imagine how happy i was to wake up to the email about this update this morning. V happy you decided to do a revamp on this story, your writing style has changed & improved since DT and in this chap alone that shows. really can’t wait to see how this new version goes, just hope it doesn’t change too much as i really do love the original as is! but honestly i just love your stories, your an amazing writer & i’m always very happy when an update or something completely new from you drops in my inbox.
Now i must get back to re-reading S&S, i took a lil break to have a look at this.
I don’t care what you think – I love this story. Since I’m back from the beach now, maybe I’ll get to help beta the next chapter!
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! It’s one of my favorites. So glad you decided to re-vamp it. Thank you!
So happy and excited to be able to re-read this story!!!!
I am SO excited! Love. Love! LOVE!! Keep up the great work.
I was so pleased when you sent me this, I always had an idea that you could make it so much more punchy with a little reworking and we were both right!
I think the change of POV will really help, your writing is always very clear so I have no concerns that we will know who is speaking.
I also enjoy Eric’s voice in this, he seems very different, in a good way – I like that 🙂
I recently re-read DT and remember that I was still a little confused as to what was going on in the first chapter, but this is definitely clearer and setting up the story much better from what I can tell. Thanks!
I’m so glad this story is back. I love the revamp, and look forward to more.
Other than Let Love In, this is my favorite fic. I think it’s the way you portray Sookie –not as a gullible girl, but someone who’s coming into her own and is smart, saavy and understands what Eric is going through…..I love that she’s the “charge” to set off the LA takeover —
Love the love you portray –I know this was your first fic, but damn girl, you hit the nail on the head right out of the gate and you keep getting better and better —
Thanks for sharing your talent with us! We are NOT worthy!
Pat
I can’t even explain how happy it makes me that you are giving this story another chance. This was the story that dragged me to your wonderful world,and I don’t really understand what was the problem with it,if it was your muse,or the comments against some parts of it. I LOVED it from the beginning,how they trusted and loved and respected each other,no matter how many people were involved. So,please,keep up the work,it’s going to be lots of fun reading it revamped.
Totally excited about this. I confess I started the series before but didn’t think it was as great as your other writings. I can’t wait to enjoy the rewrite! But I love everything you write. 🙂
I really liked the story the first time I read it, and didn’t really see the problems that you had with it. That being said, I have to say I think this flowed a lot better. So all things considered I am happy either way.
I’m so excited that you decided to re-vamp this story!!! 😀 It has been a favourite of mine for quite a while!
Love the story. Both the original and now this one. I can see that you’ve really grown as a writer since you first wrote this.
I am so happy for the ‘Ressurection’!! YAY!
Can’t wait for more!
hooked in again.. damn u woman.. :0 hope the rest is finished soon, cause unlike the first time i read it i cant keep going 😦 sigh… what ever will i do 🙂
YAYYYYYY. YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!
Love it love it love it.
So happy your decided to do this. Keep it up..
Ok I read your infinite series over and over there the reason I started reading your work and everything you’ve posted since has been just as amazing!!!! I’m really looking forward to your “revamping”, prelude was GREAT I loved the “POV’S” I can’t wait to read more.
Loved the redo of the chapter. I tend to read Dead Tired every few months, and I can really see how your writing has progressed from the chapter posted before to this new one. Bravo!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you for doing this for all of us who loved this story.
I read and re-read this story all the time and was very sad when I was on chapter 38 and suddenly chapter 39 disappeared and then the whole thing was gone… so I am so very happy that you decided to resurrect this story… the revamped chapter is even better than the original… I like that you had more than one POV in the same chapter… one of the few things that always bothered me about this story was that some parts were repeated… so you’d get to the end of a chapter and instead of going to the next day you’d go to the next POV of the same day… that seemed to make the story harder to follow, cuz you’d have to remind yourself what hadn’t happened yet… so this revamp looks promising… I can’t wait to see how you revamp the rest of the story.
I LOVE ALL YOUR STORIES! (I’m rereading Sinners & Saints right now…lol)
Saints and Sinner, and now Alcide in Wonderland, are my favorite stories of ALL time. I had not read Dead Tired yet and am looking forward to it. The first chapter was great…now more, but please do
n’t forget AIW and continuing SaS!! Wow, pretty demanding aren’t I???
First – I read *EVERYTHING* you write. Seriously. I’d read your shopping list if you put it on the net. Yet, I rarely comment or leave reviews, but I love it all so don’t stop because I’m a lousy commenter.
Second – I’m excited for this re-write. I really liked the first draft even if it was rough. I can forgive a thousand technical mistakes by a writer if the characters are engaging and the story well thought out. You have both in spades so I never found fault with the first run.
My thoughts on the differences. I like that this has a bit more back story. If I’m remembering correctly the last one started off running and didn’t give much on it until later on. I really like the Eric POV included in the same chapter. I liked the alternate POV’s in the original, but at times it was awkward following the plot line, since it seemed to jump back and forth over the same content. My only complaint, and it’s really just a selfish one, is short chapters. I *really* like longer chapters because the short ones feel like a tease to me. But that’s really just me and has nothing to do with your writing.
Thanks for all your hard work and I’m waiting with bated breath for your next post on any of your stories. ♥
This is brilliant!!! Loved the original, and the revised version looks to be more than its equal!
Kudos to you and the team!!!
ya!
I am so excited that you decided to rewrite this story! I have always loved it, but it’s been a while since I have read it, so it’s like new for me! Great chapter!
I am glad you are reposting this story i see the suttle changes as i have read the other version a few times. thank you for this new take on your old story. Kristie
I always loved the premise of this story – that Eric didn’t let Sookie flounder while he settled in with Felipe and Victor. Getting his point of view was awesome.
I loved that Sookie stood up for Eric while she talked to Sam. I loved that Eric didn’t have to say a word to Sam to get his point across.
I always felt bad for Sookie that she thought Eric in her bedroom was a dream. I was interested to read about his insecurity regarding her feelings, after the time they spent apart.
I just realized there are two more chapters posted. I’m cutting this comment short so I can go read them. Thanks for all your hard work!
so glad you are resurecting it. Eww for kissing Scumbill for New Years. Sam is such a fair weather friend I think. Glad Alcede seems to be, being a true friend.
This first chapter always brings me to tears –all the time spent apart because of politics when all they want to do is be together….glad Victor is now gone!
Pat
I am longing for your return to this series of stories. While I love the multiverse and it’s many permutations, this is the story where I first fell in love with you. ( in a totaly platonic way). I know you are involved in the multiverse but could you spare a little attention to these beautiful gems. I alway wondered what would come in the third installment. Please don’t treat these stories like the ulgy readheaded stepchild. They deserve their time in the sun.
Can’t wait for next chapter. Sam is such a goober. HATE Scumbill!!!
I didn’t see the original, but I will probably go back and check it out now that I know it is around 🙂
This looks like a really interesting story. I love the snuggling her imagination bit!
Thanks for giving this to us, and letting us know it exists 🙂 Definitley looking forward to reading it!