chapter nineteen

Rachel drove by the burned out ruins of Merlotte’s and shook her head. She could not believe someone would do that to Sam. He was an upstanding businessman and had been at the Chamber of Commerce meetings a couple of times. She drove up the road to Bill’s house, carefully avoiding Sookie’s house. She had spent the morning at work and then let her employees know she was going to be away and how they could reach her if there were any emergencies. Sky had followed her that morning to get some books from her apartment and pick up her mail and then drove over to her offices to wait for the tech guys to come and hook her computer to the college network.

On her way home, she stopped at the Piggly Wiggly, thankful the Take Back the Night people were gone. They were likely sleeping it off after they burned Sam’s place. She parked in front of Bill’s house and the werewolf there on duty came down the steps to help her load the bags. “Everything peaceful Miss Westnight?” asked Annabelle.

“So far,” she said.

“Miss Faulconer called and said she would be back in an hour,” said the were.

“Excellent. Are you hungry or thirsty?” she asked. “I can fix you a sandwich and a cold soda.”

“I would say no because one of us usually go to Merlotte’s but now since it is gone, that would be nice,” said the were. She brought the werewolf in and she looked around at Bill’s house. “Looks like a set from Gone with the Wind.”

“Well, he is of that time period,” said Rachel. “This was his home before the Civil War.”

“Don’t you mean the War of Northern Aggression?” asked the were, smiling.

“Yeah, that is what my dad calls it,” she said. “Come on in the kitchen.” They carried the bags into the kitchen and she busied herself putting her few things away and put a couple of steaks and some chicken in the fridge.

“Vampires don’t need much of a kitchen I guess,” she said looking around.

“No they don’t,” she said. “Ham and cheese good?”

“Sure,” said the wolf.

“Tomato and lettuce and mayo?” she suggested.

“Mustard,” said the were.

“Chips?” she asked.

“Sure,” she said. Rachel grabbed a plate and took two pieces of bread and laid some ham on one and got some lettuce and sliced a tomato and put it together and squirted a spiral of mustard on the sandwich and put the top piece of bread over it. She then made herself a sandwich and poured them both a cold coke. The two of them sat down at the dining room table and ate lunch. “Did you hear about what Eric did for Sam Merlotte?”

“No, what did he do?” asked Rachel.

“He let Sam have that Vic’s Roadhouse for the new Merlotte’s,” said the were.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked.

“Yeah, butter my butt and call me a biscuit right?” said the were. “Apparently it blew Sam away too. Alcide called and said he would be late today because he was taking down the stripper stage and helping him move the booths and checking the kitchen to make sure it was serviceable.”

“It had a kitchen?” she asked.

“Oh yeah, it used to be a Cajun Chicken Shaq but they moved their place to Clarice,” said the were. “Most of the old booths and tables were in storage right there on the place.”

“Is Eric that open fisted?” she asked.

“Only when he has his hand in your chest,” said the were. Rachel swallowed hard but then remembered how ferocious a fighter he had been when those mastiffs were after him and Bill and his friends. “Apparently, he has had some sort of change of heart.”

“Sookie?” she suggested.

“Maybe, Sam and Sookie are best friends. Maybe some other reason,” said the were.

“What other reason would there be?” she asked.

“Vampires are real funny. They have a strange idea of honor and respect. You never know quite why or how you qualify for their respect. Maybe Eric feels like he owes Sam something. Maybe he is atoning for something,” said the were.

“Atoning?” asked Rachel.

“Yeah, maybe he is making up for something he did to Sam, or something he felt about in regards to Sam,” said the were. She finished her lunch. “I guess I better get back out there. Thanks for the lunch ma’am.”

“Any time,” she said.

Sky was sitting on the back stoop, watching Rachel scrape the wrought iron grill of the barbecue pit in the rear of Bill’s house.  She almost had it good enough to cook on. A pair of wolves were in the back yard with them pacing around.

“And that is what she said?” asked Sky.

“Yeah,” said Rachel. “Just sent Mustafa Khan with the offer and Sam and Luna and the other waitresses and the cook and his bartenders are there getting it ready. Danny Prideaux called and asked me to let Bill know he was there that Sam had redirected his beer delivery and he was going to help him unload while Kennedy and Luna went to the state store and buy some booze for the drinks. Then Amelia stopped by to see if we needed anything because she was going to the store for Sam to get food for the kitchen to make. They won’t have a full menu but they are fixing like burgers and shrimp and fries. They called into WDED and WBTL and made the announcement Merlotte’s had moved and where they were located. It’s all over the local TV and radio.”

“I could never have imagined he would do this,” said Sky. She looked at the ground and seemed deep in thought. “Why would he do that?”

“You are the vampire expert,” said Rachel. “You tell me. I don’t know Eric very well, but I could just about swear this is hugely uncharacteristic of him.” She looked at the grill. “I think that will do. Whatever might be on there will just burn off.”

The girls were outside grilling the steaks when Bill and Bubba came out. Bill went to Rachel and kissed her and he smiled at Sky. “Did you rest well?” he asked, anxious that she be comfortable.

“I did Bill,” said Sky.

“Bill, did Eric tell you what he was up to as far as Sam Merlotte?” asked Rachel.

“I beg your pardon?” asked Bill. All Eric had said was to make sure the money he had given to Bill for Sookie was on hand if someone needed it. He did not say who. Rachel excitedly began to tell him which he could not follow. “Slow down sweetheart, and begin again.”

Sam was not surprised when Eric walked into the new Merlotte’s. The vampire looked around and took note of the changes he had made and the crowd already coming in. Sam looked up at him. “If you weren’t a man and vampire and so damned big, I would kiss you on the mouth,” said the shifter.

“Thank you will do it Sam,” said Eric. “Appears you are doing well already.”

“We are gonna run out of food, but we have plenty of beer and whiskey and we have done all we could to let people know where we are on such short notice,” said Sam.

“If you need more money, tell Bill Compton,” said Eric. “Just if you need it.”

“I will,” said Sam. “Why?”

“Why?” asked Eric.

“Why all this?” asked Sam.

“I owe you something, I never forget a debt,” said Eric. “I will sit down with you in a few weeks and discuss the financial part of this gift. Don’t worry, the terms are extremely fair.”

“Well, thanks Eric,” said the shifter. “I know you don’t shake hands but…” Sam held out his hand. Eric looked at it.

“Just don’t hug me,” said Eric. “I don’t like you that much.” He took Sam’s hand in his and shook it and let go first. “I’ll be in touch.”

“He did what?” asked Latesta.

“I saw it with my own eyes, the shifter has taken over Vic’s Roadhouse, they have been working all day with that Shreveport werewolf. They have it operating and it is already crowded,” said the fat man.

“You could have told me anything else and I would believe you but Eric Northman, doing a favor for a shifter?”

“Incredible as it seems that is exactly what he has done,” said the fat man.

“Get on your show and blast it. Talk about how they stick together, make whatever connection you wish, make it look shady and dishonest, suggest Merlotte even burned down his place so he could get the insurance to buy that place,” said Latesta.

“We don’t know that is true,” he protested.

“Does that matter? Do it,” he said. “What about Arlene? Is she back in her apartment?”

“No, she is dead; something got her and threw her in the fire between the club and the house trailer.”

“Damn it,” said Latesta. “Make a big deal of that too, say she was coming to beg for her job back that she was reformed in her thinking and suggest she caught Sam getting ready to light the place up.”

“Okay,” said the man.

De Castro rose to the news that Sam Merlotte had been burned out and he had rented Vic’s Roadhouse as the new Merlotte’s and had already opened for business. “Is there any indication Eric Northman intervened?”

“There is no indication Northman is at all involved. In fact, there is every indication Eric has…animosity toward the shifter. Apparently he once vied for Sookie Stackhouse’s feelings,” said the vampire.

“Where are you getting your information?” asked De Castro.

“Latesta called in and gave us the information. They are doing damage control on their end. They are going to implicate Merlotte in the burning of his house and bar and the killing of one Arlene Fowler,” said the informant.

“Will any of it stick?” asked De Castro.

“Doubtful, but it will make the Take Back the Night group agitated,” said the vampire.

“Where is Sookie Stackhouse?” asked the king.

“She is holed up in her house, surrounded by wolves and panthers and vampires in shifts with the child,” said the vampire.

“Thank you Palomino,” said De Castro.

“Your majesty,” said the vampire.

Palomino had left the night of the meeting at Fangtasia and had appeared at the court. She fed the king information from Latesta and from Eric. She was ready for pay back. She hated Victor Madden and she hated the king. She would die to bring him down. The shifter Eric had captured after the attack on Sookie had returned as well. She had not had a chance to speak to him, but there was a night Palomino was far away from the house and was calling Eric when she saw one of those big dogs. It woofed low to her and then turned and trotted away.

De Castro was now having meetings with human politicians. He was wining and dining them and giving them courtesy chips to play at the casino and tickets to see the big Vegas shows. Christian Baruch was busy with planning the new casinos in Oklahoma and they promised to be a big deal.  The laws Maxwell Lee had told them about were now passed. They had rights to own their own property and businesses and to have marriages to humans legitimized and to make children without restraint. The shifter laws had failed that were detrimental to the newest minority group. All of this was temporary as far as the king was concerned. The laws would disappear one by one.

Eric stepped on the porch of Sookie’s house and knocked on the door. Sookie came to the door. “Come in, Eric,” she said. For the first time in weeks she looked pleased to see him. He stepped in and was suddenly enveloped by Sookie. He put his arms around her and pulled her against him. He could smell her increasing fae scent and he could hear not only her heartbeat but also the fluttering heartbeat of the baby. He reluctantly let her go.

“Thank you so much for Sam. I don’t know why you did it, but I appreciate it,” she said.

“You are welcome Sookie. Is Amelia here?” asked Eric.

“Yeah, she and Preston are working on the final details of the spell to open the door,” said Sookie, leading the way to the kitchen. Hunter looked up and smiled.

“Eric!” he yelled and flew at the vampire. He wrapped his arms around the vampire’s thighs. Sookie tried warn him away. Not because she thought Eric would hurt him, but Eric had not been around little people in a long time. Eric motioned it was okay. He detached himself from Hunter and squatted down.

“Hello Hunter, are you well?” he asked.

“We are going on trip, Preston and Amelia are gonna open a door and we are going far away!” said Hunter carelessly stroking Eric’s hair and patting him on the shoulder.

“Yes you are, are you scared?” he asked.

“No, hey, can you go with us? Can Eric come with us Aunt Sookie?” he asked.

“Hunter, I don’t think Eric can,” said Sookie.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because I am a Sheriff and I have to take care of things here, keep everyone safe after your Aunt Sookie leaves. She took care of a lot of people and now I have to take up the slack,” said Eric.

“Will you come and visit?” he asked.

“Maybe,” he said. “We will see.” He stood up. “Amelia, can you join me outside?”

“I sure can,” said the witch.

“If I don’t get to speak to you again Hunter, please take care of your Aunt Sookie for me. She is always getting into trouble. Can you do that?” he asked, looking down at the little boy.

“I promise,” he said.

“Very good,” said Eric. He made as if to ruffle his hair and thought better of it and went out to speak to Amelia.

“Break it,” he said. “Break the bond.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, is it difficult?” he asked.

“No, it is easy. Stay right there, we can do it now,” said Amelia. She went into the house. Sookie followed her.

“What did he want?” she asked.

“He wants to break the bond remaining with you, the bond still tying you to him,” said the witch. “Stay here, he has to do this.” She grabbed the red twine and scissors and walked back out. She led Eric out to the yard. “As I chant, you unwind the red twine and when I stop, cut it immediately.” Eric nodded. She began to walk around him and Eric began to unwind the red twine. She was chanting in some sort of fractured Latin. She circled him three times and stopped where she started and Eric cut the twine. He felt something let go. It was gentle, like a caress. He sucked in his breath, something Eric didn’t really do, it was not one of his habits like Bill who sometimes feigned breathing. Younger vampires often did.

“It’s gone,” said Eric. He looked at Amelia. “I’m free.”

Sookie, watching from her front window, peeking from behind the curtain, wiped away a tear.

Bill was chatting with Sky and Rachel as they cleaned up after supper. Sky was pelting him with questions and even jotting some things down on a scrap of paper in her neat scholarly hand. She extracted a promise from him for a more detailed question and answer after this was over and he was in the process of agreeing when Eric very nearly flew into the house. “Eric is everything alright?”

“I need to speak to Sky alone,” he said. He was looking at her intensely.

“Okay,” she said. He took her hand and led her out of the house and began to walk her out of the house. A panther came out and hissed. Sky was startled.

“I am taking a walk with this woman,” said Eric to the big cat. It went scampering into the bushes. He walked with her into the cemetery. Here most of the Compton family rested. Eric did not know where his father’s bones were. Sky walked beside him. He held her hand, squeezing it gently. She was aware of the size of his hand and the fact he could crush hers without even straining.

“Eric?”

“I broke the bond with Sookie, that is, the part of the bond that still held me to her and her blood,” he said.

“Oh,” she said. “So it was Sookie’s special blood?”

“She is ¼ fae, well she is more than that now since she became pregnant by a full blooded fae,” said Eric.

“Really?” she said.

“Yes,” said Eric. “In three days, she will travel to the land of fae to be reunited with her great grandfather, a fairy prince called Niall Brigant and she can never return,” said Eric.

“How do you feel about that?” she asked.

“I came to you the night I first knew it and I slept with you,” said Eric. “I wanted you to know the details. So maybe you can understand something about my inner conflict and my anger and my fear.”

“Fear?” she asked. “What could you be afraid of?”

“Of caring, about people, humans, other supernaturals,” he said. “You.”

“So do you care about others?” she asked.

“Not like you care for others,” said Eric. “But more than vampires usually feel.”

“I see,” she said.

“Sky, I can’t promise you human things, a white picket fence, a house in the suburbs, children. I don’t even like pets. But I can promise you my loyalty and my protection and my affection.”

“I don’t know if that can be enough,” said Sky. “What if I fall in love with you? I think it would be pretty easy to do.”

“Are you sure Sky? I am ruthless and mean and violent and capable of great cruelty,” he said.

“You are also capable of being generous and thoughtful,” she said.

“Always on my terms, and always at a premium to myself,” said the vampire.

“So what can I offer you? I sure the hell am not fae,” she said. “There is no peculiar quality to me. I can bring you nothing but sex, and you don’t look like a man that does without that for very long.”

“You underestimate yourself. You are stubborn and you are intelligent and you intrigue me and I can’t stop thinking about you and how your hair glows like embers in a great fire. You burn me. When I was with you, making love to you was like dancing in the heart of the sun,” he said. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard, taking her breath.

“Wait Eric, wait,” she said.

“You don’t want me?” he asked.

“No love, just wait,” she said.

“Say that again,” he said, his mouth a straight line, looking intense.

“Love?” she asked. Suddenly his arms were around her and she felt the bottom drop out of her belly and she tightened her hold on his neck and hid her face there. He tightened his grip on her. “Eric?”

“We are almost there,” he said. Suddenly she felt the earth under her feet but she drew her legs around his waist. She recognized the back garden of Whole Body. She could feel he was walking but faster than any human “Do you have your key?”

“Yes, in my pocket,” she said. He chuckled.

“You have to let me go to let me in,” he said in her ear. She let him go and she slid her hand into her pocket and took out her keys. She unlocked it and opened the door. He pulled her around and crushed her against him. He was pulling at her clothes and his own, unable to get either of them naked satisfactorily. She pulled away from him.

“Let me close the curtains,” she said.  Eric began to strip and watched her as she pulled the drapes closed and the magnetic discs met and clamped down. She came back to him, pulling off her tee shirt, revealing a nearly transparent bra. He could see the little cherry like nipples through the fabric. She unhooked it and tossed it in the floor with her tee shirt. She slid off her jeans and underwear, and toed off her dirty canvas tennis shoes and pulled off her jeans and underwear and socks. He opened his arms to her and she nearly leapt into them. He turned and put her on the bed and followed her. He was wild and rough and gentle at the same time. He bit her, drank a little from her, and slid inside her simultaneously. He growled into her throat and moved against her. She held him tight, moving her hips toward him. She was once again the goddess, the one with the fire in her hands and her mouth and inside her and he plunged deeper. His hand went to her breast and squeezed it, playing gently with her nipple with his strong fingers. He wanted to taste her but he did not want to leave inside her heat. She had been coming, over and over and each time she said his name and the word love.

He was working hard now, his hips pumping hard against her. He held her still, his hands on her shoulders. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain and realized she had bitten him. He closed his eyes and came, shouting out her name. She pulled on his skin with her mouth and licked and sucked the blood there. When the wound healed she licked his skin. He raised up and looked at her.

“Who said you could have my blood?” he asked.

“You took my blood, I figured it was fair,” she said, shrugging.

“My blood thief,” he said. “It is right.” He slid away from her and pulled her against him. “We should probably forge a bond. Do you think that is something you would want?”

“Why do you want to do that?” she asked.

“Because it will give you some protection, and it will give me a connection to you to explore. This is a simple bond, it is nothing compared to the true blood bond,” he said. “And you can break it whenever you want.”

“Can I think about it?” she asked.

“Think about it while I do this,” he said, sliding to the bottom of the bed, pulling her thighs open.

“Do you think she is okay?” she asked Bill, as he cuddled her in his bed.

“I have never heard a woman complain of what he does to them in bed yet,” said Bill.

“Oh,” she said. “He looked…odd. What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know,” said Bill. He snuggled into her neck and sighed contentedly.

“Do you have to leave me tonight?” she asked.

“No, “he said. “In fact,  I am going to keep you up all night long so you will sleep all day in my arms.”

“Can you feel me in bed with you?” she asked. “When you are sleeping?”

“Yes,” he said. “I have an impression of your warmth, I can feel your little breasts pressed up against me when you lay your head on my shoulder. I can smell our blood in you, yours and mine. I can feel your heart beating.”

“I love you Bill,” she said, stroking his face. He closed his eyes savoring her warmth and the smell of her skin.

“I love you too,” he said. He kissed her, pulling her on top of him.

“What is the matter Sookie?” asked Preston. “I sense your sadness.”

“Eric broke the remaining bits of the bond,” she said.

“Does that trouble you?” he asked, rubbing her belly, the baby tingling inside her as he did.

“A little,” she said. “This is so awful, to talk about being sad for losing the last little tie to a man you used to love to a man who loves you so much and made a child with you.”

“I am glad you loved Eric,” he said. “And Bill.”

“Pardon me?” she asked, sitting up a little.

“If you had never known love, with Bill and Eric, then you would never have known what real love is and you would never have had the courage to love me and go through with the baby and come home with me to Faery.” He ran his finger over her ear. “You should keep your ears covered now.”

“Oh my God, are they pointy already?” she asked, covering her ears.

“Just a little, not as pointy as mine,” he said. “But just enough to look little different.”

“It won’t matter, two more days and we go,” she said. “Have you contacted Niall?”

“Yes, and he is ready,” said Preston. “He is happy about the baby.”

“You told him?” she asked.

“I hope you don’t mind, but yes,” he said.

“No, I don’t mind,” she said. “Make love to me again Preston.”

“As you like Sookie,” he said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered.

Eric lay with Sky cat napping in his arms. He felt her heart beating and her breathing. He felt her pulse on his shoulder. He smelled his blood inside her and the scent of their sex, her honey mingling with his own self, creating the sweet musky smell of satisfaction. She moved against him her hips flexing toward him. He put his face against her neck and smiled. “Love,” she whispered and he shivered. She opened her eyes. “Are you okay? I felt you shiver?”

“You make me do that when you say that,” he said. “Who are you really?”

“I am Sky,” she said, sitting up. He laid on his back and she stroked his hair. “I am the only child of Davis and Marcella Faulconer. My father is retired from the oil industry and my mother was a secretary until she got pregnant with me and then she became a stay at home mother. I am not religious, but I think of religion as good things in all, perfection in none, all that bull shit.” He laughed a little. “I never had a maternal instinct, no desire to become pregnant so I went to a doctor and took care of that. So your worries about me and kids, you don’t need to worry. I have my bachelor’s degree in History and my Master’s in Vampire Studies. I would like to get my PhD once they figure out how to do that. I have traveled all over Europe. I have had five lovers in my life before you, one quite serious, but he could not stand it that I was an advocate for vampire rights. My parents will not approve of you.”

                “I doubt many would,” he said. “I am the vampire your parents warned you about.”

                “I like you for your mind and your long history as much as your sexual abilities, which are considerable,” she said. He took her hand and pulled it down to him and wrapped her fingers around him. She giggled.

                “What? Is this amusing to you in some way?” he asked.

                “No, I mean I confess I love you for your mind and you go straight for your penis,” she said.

                “Don’t you like it?” he asked.

                “It’s alright,” she said shrugging.

                “So disrespectful,” he said, a bit sullen but he did not stop moving her hand on his length.

                “Get used to it Eric. Because whatever this is, I will not be treated like the other humans you have known. I will expect you to treat me as an equal.”

                “I will treat you with respect,” he said. “In fact I am going to respect you one more time before dawn and leave us time to have a shower together and then we are going to get ready to go to our rest,” he said. “Sleep with me, share my day sleep.”

                “Go to ground?” she said.

                “No,” he said, solemnly. “Don’t use vampire terms for what you do.”

                “I meant no insult,” she said.

                “You don’t die at dawn,” he said. “You have true sleep. You don’t do what I do.” He stroked her face. “You are warm and alive and that is what I treasure the most right now. You and your spirit.”

                Sky answered him with a kiss.

                “So this is what I have been thinking about Sookie, how do we go about causing your ‘accidental’ death and have witnesses that you died and thwart De Castro and the Take Back the Night people and leave everyone blameless?” asked Alcide.

                “We have a party,” said Preston. “It is the summer solstice tomorrow. We can invite the players. The Hot Shot Panthers, the Shreveport wolves, all the area shifters and the vampires and their friends, and we have a huge party. If I were going to go after Sookie, I would lay in wait, when they think she is going to bed and then I would attack the house.”

                “Okay, but how would we get Sookie and Preston out with Hunter without them realizing they have disappeared?” asked Mustafa.

                “That is where me and my Uncles can come in handy,” said Diantha. She shivered a little and turned into Sookie.

                “How did you do that?” asked Alcide.

                “You don’t want to know too much about that,” said the real Sookie. Diantha shivered again and turned back into herself.

“You will start your party before dark, and then when dark falls, your guard will take you to the portal and you, Hunter and Amelia and Preston will do your thing. When you leave, Uncle Desmond and Uncle Simon and I will take your places. They will see us going in and then we will just pop out and kerplooie, your house is the fourth of July, and your guests are all safe. Then everyone can say they don’t know what the hell happened. Bill and Eric’s king can’t be upset with them, your death was an accident, and the other matter, the humans, well, they can be dealt with on the boy’s spare time.”

Sookie puffed out her cheeks and rubbed her belly. She felt the baby tingle and she thought. “That is a bad plan.”

“Do you have a better one?” asked Alcide. “What is bad about it?”

“What if they do something to attack the party?” asked Sookie.

“Sookie, the party list includes panthers, weres and shifters and vampires and whatever Diantha and her Uncles are,” said Alcide. “I think we can keep a few humans and the odd vampire at bay til you can escape.”

“What do you think Preston?”

“I think the beauty of any plan is not to over think it,” he said.

“Great,” she said. “Let’s plan a party.”

By the end of the day, Sookie and the rest had made calls, invited everyone to the house and listed what they would bring. At least she would see everyone before she left. That was one consolation Preston had reminded her. Sam promised beer and wine and TrueBloods and Luna said she could grab some tables and some tablecloths from storage. Jason said he would bring the meat, hamburgers and hot dogs and his extra grill. Michele would bring some slaw and her homemade ranch dip and chips and stuff.  Then Sookie got the numbers of Bill and Eric’s lady friends and told them about the party and told them to bring whatever they wanted, including the vampires.

She checked the bags she had packed. Preston took them out the back door and carried them into the bend of the woods and put them by the key hole. He found a tiny scroll on the ground. He picked it up and put it in his pocket and set the bags down and covered them with a camouflage tarp Jason sometimes used when he went hunting.  He came back and when he passed Sookie he sat the little scroll on the table in front of her.

Welcome home Sookie, I will be waiting for you,

                       Yours, Niall

“I suppose we are ready,” she said.

Sky woke a couple of hours before dark, her belly growling. She slid out of Eric’s arms and went to the bathroom and came out and dressed and made something to eat. She drank some wine, not the good stuff, but she was…what was she doing? Going steady? He had pinned her. She grinned a little at that. She was dating a publican as it was, so she was assured of at least some good drink. She scooted back in the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth. She came back and sat on the edge of the bed. Eric’s wakening was in stages. He opened his eyes briefly and patted a spot closer to him. She slid over and moved his hand and slid under his arm and laid it across her belly. He woke a little more and his head laid on her shoulder and he squeezed her a little. A few seconds later, his legs stretched and then he went still. When the sun went down he pulled her down to him and kissed her.

“You have clothes on,” he said. “Do something about that please.”

An hour later, she was dressed again, and a little stoned from Eric’s blood and a little sensitive below her navel. She brought him a TrueBlood. “We should go back to Bill’s. Can you fly us back?”

“No need, I had Pam bring your car over here before she went home,” said Eric.

“Wow,” she said.

“You don’t mind do you?” he asked. “Pam is the only creature I absolutely trust with my safety and the safety of those I care about.”

“That is good to know,” she said. Her LAN line rang. “Hello?

“When can Bill and I expect you and the Sheriff?” asked Rachel.

“We are on our way,” said Sky. “Eric is just getting dressed now.” Eric rolled his eyes at her.

“We got up to a message from Sookie this evening, so come on over, I know you didn’t get a message because your cell is here,” said Rachel, giggling.

“Well, I didn’t expect to get swept away,” she said.

“Come on over,” she said.

Eric and Bill went to Sookie’s house and sat down with her. She explained the plan to them. Eric was not that confident of the plan. “I don’t think this a good idea Sookie.”

“Well, if you can come up with a better and simpler plan, go right on ahead,” said Sookie.

“I think it does what we need for it do,” said Bill.

“It ain’t up to you all anyway,” said Jason. “Sookie would not have to leave this world if you all had just left her alone. She has a good plan, we will all be here to see her off and we can protect her.” Eric sat up straight, a little uncomfortable with the reminder of his part in her decision to leave the human world.  

“Very well,” he said.

“Well that is it then. You guys just keep it up til we leave. We just have to wait til tomorrow night and I will be out of your hair,” said Sookie. Eric had a strange pained expression on his face. “Could you all give me a minute to talk to Bill and Eric?” she looked around. Preston tapped Jason the shoulder and he followed the fairy out of the kitchen. “I want to say something to you, and I want you two to just listen to me and don’t say anything until I have it all said or I won’t say everything to you I want to say.”

“Of course Sookie,” said Bill. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it.  “Bill, I want to tell you that though things happened between us, I always loved you. You were the very first man I ever loved and you were my first lover.  No matter where I go or how far I travel or how long I live, I will always love you and I will always pray for good things for you. Eric, I never really appreciated all the things you did for me. You made a blood bond with me and you married me and made me a wife and I never really appreciated it. You always wanted to share things with me and tell me about your world and I wished I’d paid more attention to you. Do you guys love those women you are with?”

“I do love Rachel,” said Bill. “I love her very much and it is because of you I learned to love someone.”

“Eric?” she asked.

“It is too soon to say, but I think like Bill, you have opened me up to the possibility of love,” said Eric.

“I won’t ever forget you guys, and I think I will always worry about you. Will you guys make me a promise?” she asked.

“If we can, Sookie,” said Bill.

“Promise me that you will take care of each other. I would like to think that if Bill needed you Eric, or if Eric needed you that you would take care of each other. I know you guys won’t ever be like best friends, but I would feel better if I thought you would be there to help each other,” she wiped her tears with her fingers and Bill reached in his pocket and handed her a handkerchief. She laughed. “If I don’t ask now, I will never know; why do you carry a handkerchief?”

“My mother taught me a well brought up young gentleman does not go without a handkerchief,” said Bill. Sookie laughed. “I suspect it was because I had a snotty nose.” She laughed again and snorted a little and covered her face with the linen and blew her nose.

“I thought the only time you carried a handkerchief was when you knew I was going to be crying,” she said, laughing and sniffing at the same time. “So, do you promise?”

“I swear Sookie, if Bill needs me, I will have his back,” said Eric.

“Is that true, or are you just telling me that?” she asked. Eric looked at Bill and he bit into his hand and Bill did the same and they grasped palms.

“You know how important the blood is to us, sacred,” said Bill.

“That will have to be good enough,” she said. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too, Sookie,” said Eric. “Be careful in that world, dearest.”

“Preston will be there,” she said. “Oh, let me show you something.” She grabbed her purse and pulled out the white envelope. She opened it and pulled out the picture, the sonogram of the baby. She sat it between them.

“Is that the baby inside you Sookie?” asked Eric, his finger on the little undefined growth.

“That is my bump,” she said.

“Amazing,” said Eric. “You are a maker Sookie.”

“I guess so,” she said. Then she sobbed out and the two vampires stood up and pulled her to her feet. Bill pulled her against him and Eric pressed himself to her on the other side. They had done this once before, to protect her and now they were doing it to say good-bye. She reached up and kissed Bill tenderly and then turned to Eric. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “Good bye,” she said, stroking first Eric’s face then Bill’s face.

“Good bye Sookie,” said Eric. He let her go and went out. Bill kissed her cheek once more.

“Tell Eric not be afraid to love again,” she said.

“I will,” said Bill. “Good bye Sookie.”

“Good bye,” she said.