This is my first stab at writing and I would love to hear your thoughts! I've been playing around with this story for a while now and since I'm snowed in, I thought I'd try publishing it and see what you all think.

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

A Fairy Tale - Chapter 1

I wake up from a peaceful sleep to a sunny morning in my old family farmhouse. A peaceful sleep is a rare treat as I have been plagued with nightmares of my fairy kidnapping. I can hear Amelia bustling around the house cleaning the few specks of dust that must have settled in the past 24 hours since she last scoured the place. Since Trey's death, Amelia seems to need to fill every waking moment keeping busy somehow, which means her cleaning and cooking tirades have gotten even more ridiculous than normal. I know she doesn't blame me for what happened, I've heard her thoughts on this plenty over the past few months, but I can't help thinking that if it weren't for me, Trey would still be here and Amelia would be happier.

I sigh and drag myself into the bathroom to get ready for the day. After showering and dressing in my black pants and Merlotte's t-shirt, I head out to the kitchen to find some coffee.

"Morning, roomie!" Amelia calls as she flies up the stairs with a pile of cleaning supplies. "There's fresh coffee in the pot and warm muffins on the stove."

"Thanks Amelia!" I say back, but she's already on the second floor. I gather my breakfast and settle on the front porch with my current romance novel to enjoy the sunny morning before I have to head to work for the lunch shift. I flip my book open and start reading one of the good parts starring a gorgeous blond warrior who, of course, reminds me of a certain Viking. But as I'm reading I just get started thinking about the fact that I haven't seen hide nor hair of my own blond warrior in months.

In fact, the entire Supe world seems to be leaving me very much to myself lately. But, I reassure myself, everyone is just really busy right now. My Vampires are still dealing with the logistics of the takeover, all the Weres are settling into the changes from their great reveal, and of course the fairies are all locked up good and tight somewhere in the fae realm. I was surprised even Claude decided not to stay on this side of the portals, but without Claudine here anymore (wince) I suppose he would want to be with the rest of his family. Life has been kind of boring without all of the Supe activity I'd gotten so used to, but I have to say I don't miss the hospital trips. My wounds from my latest adventure with Thing One and Thing Two are finally healed, well the ones on the outside anyway, thanks to Eric's blood and Dr. Ludwig's magic. So I'm pretty much back to my old self again physically. I still can't bring myself to put on my Merlottes summer uniform though, and have been opting for my black pants instead of the little shorts – they just show more skin then I can handle right now. Mentally and emotionally, I'm still a total mess. For one I can't shake the guilt over Trey, Clancy, and Claudine's deaths, and even though Bill has finally recovered from the silver poisoning, he had months of suffering to go through and still isn't back to 100%. And it was all just to protect me! I've been dragged into vamp and were politics and taken my share of abuse because of it, but that hardly balances out the loss of three lives and Bill's months of suffering. And as if that guilt weren't bad enough, I selfishly can't stop thinking what Niall's parting words had meant. Which vampire? I've gone in circles about that one over and over and can't make any progress on it. Not that it much matters who Niall thinks loves me though, since I haven't spoken to Eric or Bill since shortly after my kidnapping.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I notice the time and have to finish getting myself ready for work. I clean up my dishes in the kitchen, pack the muffins Amelia made this morning into a tin, and give the kitchen a quick wipe down, although I'm sure Amelia will give it her own thorough cleaning later anyway. I pull my hair into a ponytail, apply a bit of lip gloss and mascara, and head to Merlotte's.

I park in the employee lot and make my way to Sam's office to stash my purse and grab an apron. Sam's behind his desk scowling at a pile of papers, but he lifts his head and greets me with warm smile. "Hey, chere! It's been pretty quiet out there so I'm gonna stay here and get some work done. But let me know if it picks up."

"Sure thing, Sam." I check my ponytail in the mirror, tie on my apron, and head out front. The lunch shift ended up getting pretty busy so I had to call Sam out of his office after about an hour. I'm helping to train the new girl, Maddie, today and so far she's holding her own pretty well. Maddie is the third new waitress we've hired since Arlene quit, the other two just didn't seem to work out, and I'm hoping she sticks around. I can tell she's some type of shifter from her thought signature, but I haven't asked what she changes into. She's a sweet girl though and seems to know her way around a restaurant, so I like her so far. I'm just turning back to the kitchen to drop off some empty glasses when I catch someone's thoughts and it makes me stop dead in my tracks.

Niall didn't really describe her well, I wonder which one she is. He said this was where she worked.

I spin back around and scan the bar for the source of the thoughts, but it's like he sensed my mind touch his and turned his thoughts off. Who is this person that knows Niall? And is he looking for me? Fear grips me as I wonder if it's someone related to Dermot or Dermot himself, but I quickly dismiss the idea thinking Niall would never tell his enemy where I work. And Dermot already knows what I look like. Sam, noticing me standing there frozen and wide-eyed, grabs my arm and leans in whispering, "What is it, Sookie? Are you ok?"

"I don't know, Sam. I just heard someone thinking about Niall and how he said this was where "she" worked," I made little finger quotes in the air as I explained, "but I can't figure out who it was. His thoughts just cut off." Just then a beautiful man catches my eye as Maddie seats him in a booth in my section. He's about 6 feet tall with dark brown hair, a lithe build, and sun kissed skin. He's dressed in a pair of jeans and green t-shirt. Sam is saying something, but for the life of me I just can't hear him. He follows my gaze toward the strange man, and we both watch as Maddie makes her way toward us.

As she walks up, she asks Sam for an iced tea and turns to me, "Sookie, that man I just seated was asking for you so I sat him in your section. Do you know him? He sure is good looking," she winks at me and Sam rolls his eyes. "Should I bring him his tea or do you want to take it over to him?"

"I'll take it over, thanks Maddie," I reply straightening my ponytail. She smiles and leaves to check on her tables, so I grab the glass from Sam and start to head over, but Sam grabs my arm to stop me.

"Sookie do you know him? Is he the one you just heard?" Sam asks me with genuine concern in his voice.

"I don't know who he is, Sam. And I don't hear the thoughts anymore so I can't be sure. But if it is and he knows Niall and was told to find me here, I want to know why. It'll be ok, don't worry." Sam gives me a stern look but releases my arm, so I continue on to the mystery man's table feeling inexplicably giddy all of a sudden.

"Hi, I'm Sookie. Here's your iced-tea. Maddie said you were asking for me?" I ramble out in one breath with my perkiest voice and my crazy-Sookie smile plastered on my face.

The mystery man looks up at me and his slate grey eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles back. "Hello, Sookie. I'm Aiden. Your grandfather told me I should look you up when I got to the area," he replies with a slight Irish brogue, extending his hand in greeting. I drop my shields to probe his mind but I don't hear anything. Even when I reach out to return his handshake, the contact doesn't help. Huh, there's just nothing! I don't even get an impression of a mind at all. Not the void I usually sense with a vampire or the high pitched sound of a demon or the distinct feel of a fairy. It's like there's not even a person there in front of me. Aiden watches my smile falter and let's go of my hand. I quickly shake myself, put my smile back on, and reply, "It's nice to meet you, Aiden. How do you know my grandfather?"

"I only met him once a few months back and he asked me to come find you. He gave me this to give you when I got here."

Aiden hands me a thick ivory envelope with my name written in elegant script. I turn the envelope over in my hand to see Niall's unicorn wax seal holding the flap closed. I can smell the magic scent of my grandfather on the paper, and a wave of sadness washes over me as I think about my fae family. Niall left so suddenly I barely had time to say goodbye to him. And poor Claudine! Just thinking her name brings tears to my eyes. I blink them back and try to turn my attention back to Aiden.

Aiden is looking at me, he face full of concern and sympathy. He takes my free hand between his own large, strong hands, and I hear his thoughts once again.

Sookie, I am so sorry for you losses. Niall told me what happened and I can't begin to imagine how hard it's all been for you.

I gasp in shock as I realize this man was intentionally blocking and now projecting his thoughts to me. And not just that, but his thoughts feel like Barry's! Testing my theory, I think: Aiden, you're a telepath too?

Yes, I am, and we have more in common than just that.

I begin wondering why Niall would send this beautiful man to me, and what exactly he's told him about my losses. Was her referring to the loss of my parents, the horrors of the fairy war, Claudine's death, or the rest of my fae family leaving this realm? And what else could I possibly have in common with this guy?

"All of it, Sookie," Aiden speaks aloud in a soft voice, still holding my hand. "He told me all about you and what you've been through in your life. I would like the chance to tell you about myself, too. Please, read his letter and then get in touch with me if you would like to talk." He gives my hand a firm squeeze and I'm distracted by his touch. I look down at his hands holding mine and notice their rough feel against mine. His hands are large and strong like someone who does physical work, they make me think of Alcide, but he's not as warm as the Were, much closer to my own 98.6. I move my gaze back up to his face, taking in his muscular arms and broad shoulders on my way, finally noticing the smirk of his lips and the dimple on his cheek. He's a telepath for God's sake! Quickly, I pull my hand back and throw up my shields. Here I am mentally drooling over him and he can hear everything going through my mind! Blushing, I stuff the envelope in my apron and dig for my pen and notepad. Trying to recover myself, I go into waitress-autopilot saying, "So, uh, can I get you something to eat, then?"

With a slight chuckle, Aiden replies, "Thank you, I think I'll just finish my tea and be on my way. But please, call me so we can talk once you've read the letter." He takes the pen and pad from my hands, jots down his phone number for me, and hands them back.

I stash the pen and pad back in my apron and say, "Sure, I will. And thank you for delivering the letter to me." I turn on my heel and escape to check on my other tables. As I'm refilling everyone's drinks and wiping down my now vacant tables, I finally recover enough to chance looking back at his table. I glance over to see Aiden heading for the door. He turns back, gives me a polite nod and I hear:

Goodbye, Sookie.

And then he's out the door.

I clear his empty glass, fold the money he left into my apron, and head back to the kitchen. Sam intercepts me, "Who was that, Sook? What did he want?"

Letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I fill Sam in. "His name is Aiden. Niall sent him to meet me and deliver a letter." Unsure how much I should tell Sam, I leave out the part about the telepathy. "I'm not really sure what he wants though. I guess I'll know more once I read Niall's letter."

Sam gives me an appraising look then offers to cover my tables so I can take a break and read the letter. I thank Sam but tell him I'd rather just finish my shift and read it once I get home. I'd prefer to have some privacy when I figure out whatever my great-grandfather has to say to me in his letter.

"But if you don't mind I'll just run back and put this in my purse," I say, taking the envelope out of my apron. Sam gives me a nod, so I head back to stash the letter and Aiden's number in my purse. I return to my work and try my best to keep my mind on the task at hand until the shift is over.

The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully, and soon the normal happy-hour crowd starts to show up as they're getting off work. Holly comes out of the office ready to take my place, so I fill her in on the tables she'll be taking over and head back to the office. I quickly ditch my apron and get my purse so I can get home. Waving goodbye to Sam, I leave out the employee exit.

I pull my car around to the back of my old farmhouse and see that Amelia's car is gone so I have the house to myself. I breathe a sigh of relief. I love Amelia and all, but I am thankful to have some privacy to get my head straight and read Niall's letter. I head inside and drop my purse on the kitchen table, fill the tea kettle and put it on the burner, then quickly run off to my room to change into some jeans and a comfy blue t-shirt before plunging into the letter. I fix my tea, grab a knife from the drawer, and settle down at the kitchen table, pulling the envelope out of my purse. I turn it over in my hands a few times taking a moment just to think about my great-grandfather. I use the knife to cut the seal off the envelope and pull the letter out. Taking a deep breath I begin to read:

My Dearest Sookie,

I am heartbroken that I have to leave you after us having only a short time together. There is so much more that I wanted to share with you and teach you, but I have realized that you will never be safe if my enemies can get to you, and the only way to keep them away is for us to all leave your world. I hope that someday you can forgive me for the horrors you have already suffered because of me and my kind.

As soon as I laid eyes on you I knew you possessed the essential spark, and you will undoubtedly have many talents. I only wish I could be the one to help you discover them. But since I cannot be there to help you myself, I have been searching for someone who can teach you how to control your gift better, and perhaps teach you to harness the fae magic that you posses as well. My searching has led me to Aiden and he has agreed to come meet you. He can help you and teach you many things. You will find that you two have much in common. Please, trust him and give him a chance to show you what he knows.

I am also leaving you a few gifts that will be more useful to you than they will be to me since I am no longer in your world. Contact Mr. Cataliades and he will give you access to everything I have left you. I must tell you of one item in particular. I am giving you an ancient magical weapon, a sword, which is especially effective against the fae. Tell Aiden about it, he will help you understand its power. I was unable to find Dermot before I sealed the portals and I fear he will come for you again. Be on your guard, and keep the sword close by in case you need to use it.

I wish there was more I could do for you, Dear One. I will always love you and will miss you more than you can imagine. Take care of yourself.

With all my love,

Niall

I read through the letter three times before I could put it down. As usual, my great-grandfather left me with more questions than he answered. I tried to put everything into perspective as I read and reread the letter. As much as Niall said, there were really only a few things I new for sure from his letter.

I knew that Aiden was trustworthy and would be able to answer some of the questions Niall had brought up. I would need to contact him soon so I could find out more about this fae magic I supposedly possessed. Aiden should be able to clear up whatever the sword business was as well.

I also knew that Niall had left me some gifts and I would need to contact Mr. Cataliades to find out more. The idea of seeing the demon lawyer again was unnerving. While I thought he was a good man, every time I had contact with him something awful seemed to happen- dead demons in my yard, the discovery of Bill's deceit, and the horrible events in Rhodes flashed through my mind. None of these events were Mr. Cataliades fault of course, but I couldn't help the sense of dread I suddenly felt at seeing the lawyer and throwing myself into the supe world again, wondering what would go wrong this time.

And finally, I knew that Dermot was definitely still at large and likely planning his next move. If the thought of seeing Mr. Cataliades gave me a sense of dread, the thought of seeing Dermot filled me with absolute horror. But all I can do is take my great-grandfathers advice and be on my guard until I clear the rest of these questions up.

Working out my mental to-do list, I decide to first call Mr. Cataliades and then call Aiden. I dig my phone out of my bag, scroll through my contacts to find the lawyer's number, and press send. Mr. Cataliades didn't answer so I left a short voice mail asking him to return my call.

Moving on to number two on my list, I pull Aiden's number out of my bag. As I begin punching in the numbers, I hear the crunch of gravel in my driveway and peak out the window to see Amelia's car pulling up next to mine. I decide to wait to make this phone call, so I close my phone and get up to pour myself a second cup of tea. Amelia comes into the kitchen and I offer to make her a cup too.

"Sure, thanks Sook," she replies. "So, how was your day? Pick up any good gossip at the bar?" she asks with a knowing smile on her face. I wonder exactly what she knows, but decide to stay out of her head and just play along.

"Oh you know, just the normal small town news..." I say and ramble off a few stories about the dull local happenings as I fix our tea. I grab our cups and turn to join her at the table.

"So are you going to tell me about Niall and this Aiden guy or are you just going to keep me in suspense?" she squeaks waving Niall's letter and Aiden's phone number at me. I just laugh, take my seat across from her, and recap my afternoon. She interrupts me when she notices me blushing to ask me what Aiden looks like, of course this just makes me blush even more. I try to describe him, but I'm sure I'm not doing him justice, and I finally admit, "The worst part is that I was admiring him a bit too much in my mind, and he's a telepath! He heard every thing I was thinking about him! I'm so embarrassed I don't know how I will be able to face him."

"Aw Sookie, now you know how the rest of us feel," she says and pats my hand. "I'm sure he didn't think much of it, I mean he has to be used to it, you know? Aren't you used to ignoring what people think about how you look?"

I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse exactly. It's true I tend to brush it off when I hear guys thinking about the curves the good lord gave me, but not before I put those guys in my own little mental compartment reserved for people I think are jerks. I cringe at the thought that Aiden would have a similar compartment that he just stuck me in. Sighing, I continue my story, eventually passing Niall's letter back to Amelia so she can read it for herself.

I keep quiet and let her read until she finally puts the letter down and looks at me. "Sookie what do you think? What does all of this mean?" she asks.

"Well, the only things I know for sure are that I need to contact Mr. Cataliades, which I did right before you got here. He didn't pick up though so I left a message. And I'm going to have to call Aiden to find out about most of the rest of the things he said." I swallowed and looked down at the letter again. "And I know that Dermot is still around and most likely coming for me," I finish, burring my face in my hands and I just can't hold back the tears this time.

Amelia comes around the table and wraps her arms around me. "It's ok, Sookie. It will be ok. This Aiden guys, he'll help you learn to protect yourself, and with the sword Niall left you I'm sure you'll get rid of that bastard Dermot once and for all." She lifts my face up to look at her and adds, wiggling her eyebrows, "And hey, if this Aiden is as cute as you say he is, maybe you'll get more than just a few magic lessons out it."

Well that brings me out of my pity party. I laugh and say, "Thanks Amelia." I make up my mind right then that I'm not going to be poor Sookie Stackhouse, victim of the supernatural world, anymore. "Your right, I need to learn what I can, protect myself as best I can, and just hope everything will be ok. I won't be caught off guard this time."

I wash out my cup, gather up my letter and Aiden's number, and head for my room saying, "I'm going to call him right now and find out when we can start."

Once in my room, I punch in the numbers before I lose my new found courage. Aiden answers on the second ring with that adorable Irish accent, "Hello?"

"Hi, Aiden, it's Sookie."

"Sookie, I'm so glad you decided to call. You read Niall's letter then?" He sounds genuinely pleased to hear from me.

"I did, although to be honest, it brought up more questions than it answered. It seems you'll be able to fill me in though?" I say with a bit of question in my tone.

With a laugh, Aiden responds, "Yeah, your grandfather left me with quite a few questions myself. I'm sure we can get some of that straightened out though. When would it be convenient for you to meet?"

"Well I have the day off tomorrow, would you want to come over sometime in the afternoon?"

"That sounds perfect," he replies and I proceed to give him directions to my house. We say our goodbyes and hang up.

Well, that went pretty smoothly. I head back out to the kitchen to fill Amelia in on my plans. She says she has some errands to run and she's going to head into Shreveport tomorrow afternoon so I can meet with Aiden alone. Amelia and I have a late dinner then I decide to just go to bed since I have a big day tomorrow. I toss and turn for a while, but eventually sleep pulls me under.