I felt dread come over me. Dread for what Eric's note meant. Dread for the busy week ahead. But most of all dread for the upcoming summit. The last summit was not my favorite memory. As a matter of fact its one of the worst memories I have. I went the last time because Sophie Anne was on trial. She won the case because of the mind reading I did. But then there were murders, and Quinn got hurt, and then there were the bombs. So many died and there was so much destruction. I was investigated by the FBI, and if it wasn't for Niall I could still be hassled by them. The only good things that came out of the summit was that Andre was staked by Quinn eliminating one of the few vampires I loathed, and Eric and I becoming blood bonded. Although at the time I was furious about it. But at the time Eric and I had such an estranged relationship. He hadn't gotten his memory back yet, and neither one of understood what we were feeling but we knew there was something there, something that continued to pull us together. I had to say that even then I trusted Eric more than any one, he told me then that he was the lesser of two evils. The truth was that he loved me, blood bonding us just made that love come alive faster than it may have otherwise.
Lying in bed letting the dread roll over me was going to do me no good. All week was going to be crazy, and I needed to snap out it and put my feet on the floor and just start the week off. I had just made the decision to get up and I heard Aidan calling for me. That got me moving. I opened up my bedroom door to find Aidan at the bottom of the steps. "Mom, Mom, we need to get going I don't want to be late for my first day." Aidan called to me. "We won't be late. It's only 7, we have plenty of time to get your to preschool by 9." I answered him. "Go get dressed, and I'll see about breakfast." I told him. "I'll do breakfast. You go get ready for work." Mike said as he opened his bedroom door. He stood there looking disheveled. I had thought he'd spent the night with Pam, but I'd obviously been wrong. I know the look on my face had to be one of confusion. But I wasn't going to try and read him. If he'd wanted me to know he'd tell me. "I want Mommy's pancakes for my first day at school." Aidan whined. "Mommy has work now, and I don't have to be at work until later. Why don't I do the morning routines now and Mommy will do the night time routines." Mike tried to reason with the little boy. "NO Dad, Mommy always does breakfast and takes me to school." Aidan whined some more. "Aidan, Mommy will fix breakfast this morning, but Dad's right. Now that he works nights and is home during the day, and I work days and will be home at night we need to change our usual routine. I know that a lot have changed lately, and this is just one more change but today is my last day doing breakfast." I told him. Aidan turned and stomped back up the stairs. A few seconds later I heard his door slam.
I looked over at Mike and he just shook his head. "Go on and get ready for work. I'll make the pancakes. He'll come down in a little while eat his pancakes and forget this whole discussion." Mike said quietly running his hands over his head like he was still trying to shake himself awake. I wanted to ask him what his deal was this morning, why he looked like hell but I knew that we too had to make some changes. I had to wait for him to talk to me, but I also had to realize that he may never talk to me. I turned around and went to my bathroom. I showered and dressed quickly. I chose comfy clothes for today. I was excited about seeing the shop with the new floors and paint. I knew Corynne and Sasha had worked hard all last week while I was dealing with the move and catching Felipe. But now it was my turn. I only had three days this week and then I had to go to Hot Springs. I knew that Eric wanted me to stay until Sunday, but I didn't want to even go. If I didn't have to stand by Eric as his wife at Felipe's trial I would beg Eric to let me stay at home this one. But I knew he needed me there, and I knew he wanted me to stay with him until he was ready to come home Sunday night. I hurried and got my things ready to go and headed to the kitchen to eat with my family. I nursed Adele while eating Mike's pancakes and sausage. Aidan didn't talk while he ate, he was pouting. As we finished eating I turned to Mike, "Do you want to take Aidan to school this morning?" "Yes, I'd like to start doing it every morning. I assume you'll pick them up?" He answered. "Yes, of course." I told him. "Sookie, we need to talk tonight about a few things. Do you think you could wait up until I get home around 1?" He asked. "I'll try. I'll lie on the couch and if I doze off you can wake me." I told him. "I've got to get going if I'm going to get there by 9." I told him as I glanced at the clock above the sink. I leaned over and kissed Aidan who was still pouting. I smiled at Mike, and kissed Adele. "Drop off Adele whenever you're ready." I said as I strolled out of the kitchen. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door with a little spring in my step.
As I drove to Shreveport I thought about all the things I wanted to do this week. I wanted to make this shop number one in the state of Louisiana. I wanted people to come from all over the state. I had some great ideas about having a fangbanger section where I got vamps in the state to consign their clothes for fangbangers to purchase knowing which vamp it used to belong too. I knew that I'd have to be careful how I advertised that section. It would have to be separate from the junior section and women section. I'd have to create a whole new section. I had forgotten all about Eric's note until I pulled into my shop parking lot. There was Tommy, Eric's day guy, and a small woman I'd never seen before wearing an impeccable navy business suit, her hair in a French twist, and little cat like glasses. These two must have been what Eric meant by hired help. I parked and got out of the car. I braced myself for whatever Eric had instructed them to do. But they just nodded at me. Then Tommy spoke. "Mrs. Northman, I'd like you to meet Viola Chastain. She will be assisting you this week in preparation for the Summit." "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Northman; I promise I won't get in your way while I assist you in getting ready." Viola spoke. "You both may call my Sookie. I'm don't really think I need assistance getting ready for the Summit, but you may come in to my shop and tell me what Eric has asked you to do. We have about forty minutes before my first appointment of the day." I told them as I unlocked the store and held the door open so they could come in. I stopped short after entering myself. The store was beautiful. The girls obviously had worked very hard and getting things ready over the weekend. They had rack out on the floor. All of the supplies in their correct place, all we needed now were clothes and training.
My two "helpers" had obviously been caught off guard too. They just kind of looked around in awe. I motioned them towards my office and set my bags down turned on my computer and logged onto my scheduler. I had until 10:15 and Sasha would be coming in soon. "OK Tommy, why did Eric send you?" I asked. "Well, Mrs. Sookie, Eric thought if there were errands you needed ran, or purchases you needed made, paperwork, bookkeeping, household chores, vehicle gassed up, any of the usual daily tasks that you might need completed I could do them for you and that would leave you to complete your work at a quicker pace." Tommy explained. "So you will just hang around me until I have something for you to do, no, I don't think so. That would drive me nuts. Why don't I work on a list tonight of things that I need completed and I'll email it to you." I responded to him. "I was told that anything I could do to help you were my orders for the week. If that's how you want me to help you then that is what I will do." Tommy answered. I then turned to the quiet Viola. "Viola what were your instructions for the week?" I asked her wanting to get them both out from under me. "It is my job to have you packed, prepped, and have everything in order for your trip. I need to make sure that you have appropriate wardrobe selections, and know everything that is expected of you while at the Summit. Mr. Northman want to make sure that you understand your role, and all events you will be expected at, along with allowing you some free time to do as you wish while in the historic town. He informed me that you are reluctant to participate and that your last Summit was not pleasant. Since there are now only Summits of this nature every three years, and you did not attend the last one, he also wants to make sure that you are aware of all of the security changes." Viola answered my question precisely and in a very professional manner. "How is it that you have this information?" I asked curious as to what this human did for a living. "I am the human liaison to the EEE. It is my job to assist all humans in dealings with the vampires. Mr. Northman got my contact information from Mr. Cataliades and he called me last night. Luckily I was already in Louisiana prepping another human for how to behave as the new pet to the Sheriff in Texas so I was close enough to come over early this morning." She quickly explained.
"I've been to a Summit before. I run a clothing store so I know how to dress myself. And I'm sure that whatever security changes have been made Eric or Pam can explain to me one evening. So I don't really see how you're necessary to me." I told Viola a little perturbed that Eric had sent this woman to me. "Mrs. Northman, do you have a cocktail dress, ball gown, three business attire selections, and four casual wear outfits that fit after your last child. Or do you know that no two high ranking vampires are allowed to stay in the same hotel. That Hot Springs being a historic area does not have an all vampire hotel, and that you not only do you have to have a security access card, a pass code, an invitation, and that the location of each meeting, trial, and event is in a different room at a different hotel only to be determined the morning of the event by the EEE representative in charge of that event." She argued. "I don't have time for this. I am going to the trial and that is it. It will not be necessary for me to know all of that information." I stammered trying to get her to let go. "As the wife of one of the most powerful vampires still alive, one who is up for placement for a Kingdom, who is taking another king whom he has captured to trial, and who has spent the last six years defending his choices to make YOU his wife? Defending his choice to let you live your life away from him and you think you don't have to be there for him from night one until he leaves on Sunday. What Frannie told me was right; you are nothing but a selfish bitch." Viola spat at me.
I stared in shock. I didn't know what to say. This woman knew more about me than I did. She knew more about Eric than I did, and she was friends with Frannie, my ex Quinn's little sister. I was angry with Eric for doing this, but I also felt terribly guilty that I still after everything that had happened that I wanted nothing to do with this world. I wanted Eric and only Eric, but I did not want the protocol, the politics, and the game play. But even I knew that you couldn't have one without the other. I wasn't sure that I could do it, but Eric deserved the effort on my part.
"OK, you win. I am a selfish bitch. I didn't ask for this, I tried to run as far away from it as possible. But Eric did choose me, and there is a reason for it. So if you want to help me then take my measurements and go buy whatever clothing you think I'll need for the Summit. Then tonight you can come to my house for dinner and we'll go over everything else I need to know. But for now I have work to do. So you both need to leave." I told them firmly. Tommy stood up and I handed Viola a measuring tape. After a few quick measurements and asking my shoe size they both left. Sasha came in shortly afterwards and we started in on training her on the computer systems. A few minutes later our very first consignor walked in the door. She was Alcide's secretary and I knew she was only doing this as a favor, but I really appreciated it. We chatted as I looked through her items and made my selections. I had Sasha explain the contract to her coaching her from the side. When she left Sasha and I high fived. We were in business. Together we saw five more women before lunch time when Mike dropped of Adele. Corynne came in for her shift as Sasha left for her classes, and I started all over again. Corynne and I saw seven more women in the afternoon and by the time we were ready to close up we had entered and tagged all of the items we had accepted and found their placements on the floor. I left feeling really good about our first day as I drove to pick up Aidan.
Aidan told me all about his day on our way home. We drove past the building site for our new home and I was amazed by the progress they were making. If Adele hadn't been asleep we would have stopped and walked around for a closer look. There were already walls dry walled and a roof. Aidan got very excited at the prospect of the house being done faster than we thought and spoke only about the house until we pulled into our driveway. After we got inside I settled Adele into her swing and turned on cartoons for Aidan and then went to the kitchen to plan dinner. I smelled the ham and beans in the crock pot and realized that Mike had already taken care of dinner for me. I needed to remember to thank him tonight. I made some cornbread and stuck it in the oven and went to change into lounge clothes when I felt Eric awaken. I knew he would be out soon since he had me on his mind. I had just taken my blouse off when he opened the closet door and sped to me his mouth was on mine before I could blink. I felt warm all over. He pulled away from me and looked down. "MMM I needed that." He told me and licked his lips. "I'm happy to oblige, are you staying here this evening or do you have to go into town?" I asked him as I pulled on my tee. "I have work that needs to be done. But I can call Pam and see if she can bring it out here if you'd rather me be with you tonight." He said as he raised his eyebrows in quick succession at the end. "Viola will be here soon to go over her instructions over dinner, but I know the kids would like to spend time with you and we need to talk about the Summit also I can't learn everything you need from me unless you talk to me. I didn't appreciate being told off by Viola for not understanding what all you have riding on this weekend." I told him as I headed back out to check on the cornbread and kids. He dressed and then followed me out.
"Uncle Eric are you staying for dinner." Aidan asked. "Do you want me to stay for dinner?" Eric responded after being caught off guard by the four year old asking a very human question. "I think you should be around more if you're going to marry my Mom and we're going to live with you now." Aidan said very adult like. "Are you ok with us living together, and me marrying your Mom." Eric asked. "Its ok I guess. I mean the house your building us is going to be awesome we drove by it today. And if we're going to live together you really should marry my Mom. You won't be my Dad or anything or maybe you will be but I'll still call you Uncle Eric." Aidan told him. "Ok, Ok. I'll marry your Mom before we move into the house as long as you promise me that you'll be my best little man." Eric laughingly told him. "Are we going to have a wedding?" Aidan asked. "I don't know we'll have to talk to your Mom about that." Eric told him as I walked back into the living room. "Talk to me about what? Dinner is ready. Where is Viola, I hope she didn't get lost." I said as I picked up Adele from her swing and took her to the kitchen as the boys followed. We had just sat down with our bowls of food and a bottle of True Blood for Eric when the door bell rang. "Mom, a girl is at the door." Aidan said. Eric got up to get the door and quickly came back into the room with Viola skirting behind him. After a quick scan of her head I could tell Eric had reprimanded her for her treatment of me. "Mrs. Northman thank you for dinner. I spent all day shopping and I hope that the choices I have made suit you. I bought a few options of cocktail dresses and ball gowns for you to choose from; perhaps Mr. Northman would like to give his opinion." Viola spoke to me hoping to redeem herself.
"You can thank Mike, he prepared dinner. And thank you for shopping today. After dinner I'll be happy to look at your purchases for me. But right now we're going to enjoy our dinner and talk about much more pleasant things." I told her. "Like having a wedding." Aidan said. "A what?" I looked at him surprised. "A wedding, you need to marry Uncle Eric before we move into our new house and its going to be done really soon so we need to plan wedding." Aidan explained. "Aidan, Uncle Eric and I do not need wedding to be married." I told him while Eric looked amused. "But you and Daddy had a wedding when you got married." Aidan said firm in his convictions. "Yes, but vampires don't have wedding like that, they have a different kind of ritual and your Uncle Eric and I have already done that ceremony." I tried to explain to him. "Sookie, I think a wedding is a great idea. We can renew our vows to one another in front of everyone reaffirming our marriage and we can announce the big celebration at the Summit." Eric spoke up. "I disagree with that. Announcing it to everyone will make then think they are invited to the wedding and I don't want all of those vampires to be anywhere near my family." I told him. "The EEE could arrange a quiet ceremony of just close friends and family and then a large reception for show with supernatural invites. That way your son could have his wedding and Mr. Northman could have his public display of unity." Viola said trying once again to be helpful. "That would be splendid." Eric said looking towards me for approval. I bit my lip as I looked from Eric to Aidan. They both wore the same expression of excitement in their eyes as they waited for my answer. My son had decided this not knowing what it meant for us to remarry. Eric however understood the full ramifications of it, knew that this would tell the entire vampire world, hell the whole supernatural world that I was back and we were together and we wanted to be recognized. I had serious doubts as to whether or not this was a good idea but I couldn't disappoint either one of them. "Ok you two, you can stop with the look, you win. We'll have a wedding and a big reception." I told them knowing my voice wasn't as excited as they wanted it to be.
With that discussion over with we finished our dinner. I started to clean up when Eric's hand reached out to mine. "Leave it until later. I'd like to see the fashion show and I'm sure Viola doesn't want to stay here any longer than necessary." Eric stated as he brushed his lips to my brow. I rolled my eyes and said "If you insist." I walked into the living room where Viola was unpacking the multitude of bags she'd left in there during dinner. "What is all this? I thought you said I needed just a few new things. This is a whole new wardrobe not just a few days away." I asked her unable to believe she had purchased all of these things today. "I wanted you to have options. You didn't really give me a chance to find out your clothing preferences so I bought a little of every style." Viola answered very proud of herself. There was a knock at the door. "It's Aunt Pam." Aidan said as he ran to the door. "Come in Aunt Pam." Aidan said as he swung open the door. "Thanks kid." Pam said as she strolled in. "It's about time you took advantage of the company clothing allowance; I was tired of the jeans and tees." Pam quipped. "Viola shopped for me today, and I was just going to take a look and decide what would work for me." I told Pam. "LOOK, oh no you have to try on, and parade and then Eric and I will do a what's it called, oh yeah, thumbs up or down." Pam joked. "I don't have all night so why don't we just separate it by business, cocktail, ball, and casual." I told Viola.
She quickly went through the bags and separated everything out across my couch. Pam and Eric were whispering in the back ground. I went through the casual wear first and picked out a pair of grey pants with a navy ¾ sleeve top and plaid vest with navy ankle boots. Then I picked out a short sleeve sweater dress with wide belt in eggplant and knee high boots to go with it. Next I looked through the business attire. She picked simple suits like the one she had on. I chose a brown blazer to go with a mustard blouse and brown tweed skirt. Then a red pant suit with a black lace blouse. Pam and Eric were disappointed I wasn't trying everything on and parading around. Aidan was bored so he took to playing peek a boo with Adele whose laughter grabbed Pam's attention and pretty soon the vampire was on the floor playing peek a boo too. When got to the cocktail dresses I had three from which to choose. Each one was a totally different look. The first one was black, long, and skin tight. As I held it up I could see that it was sheer and people would be able to see right through it. Eric smiled as I showed him. The second one was blue satin super short with an empire waist. It reminded me of a little girls dress. Eric shook his head at that one to tell me he didn't like it. The third was green. It was strapless and ended just above the knee. I hated the color but I guessed this would work. I too was getting tired of this as I made my way to the ball gowns. All three she chose looked like something from a bad prom. I chose the lesser putrid one and Viola was satisfied.
Pam and Eric wanted to do bedtime duty so after I fed Adele and kissed Aidan I handed my children over to the vampires. It was so ironic that I would trust my children to these vampires who I had seen kill so savagely many times. As they carried the kids up the stairs I had to smile. Then I turned to Viola motioned for her to sit down and prepared myself to listen to her spiel about the Summit. Sometime in the middle Eric and Pam came back downstairs and headed to the kitchen. I knew I'd rather hear what they were talking about but I needed to pay attention to Viola. She was right thing had changed. Eric and I would be staying at a cabin that has an inner coffin room. Pam and Rasul would be staying at the next cabin over. Felipe would be handed over to the counsel security team at the hotel the trial would be held at which was five miles away. Apparently because of the bombing in Rhodes the vampires were afraid to all be in the same building during the day. They felt like at night they had the advantage. It was close to ten when Viola finally finished explaining my role. Pam had already left sometime earlier. As I showed Viola to the door Eric came out of the kitchen. "Do you feel prepared for the weekend?" Eric asked as I shut the door. "Yes, as far as protocol and switching locations, and the security. However tomorrow Tommy is going to have to take all of those dreadful clothes back. They are not for me. I'll go to Tara's myself in the morning and pick out what I'll need. I don't know if she's trying to dress an eighty year old woman or a harlot, but nothing worked." Eric just laughed at my comments as he trailed his hand along my face. "Sookie she was trying to be helpful." He reminded me. "That kind of help I don't need. She might be good at her job, but she is not a personal shopper I'd recommend." I told him. "But we still need to talk about what you need from me." I told him. "The only thing I need from you right now is to get the clothes you have on off, we have little time before Mike comes home and I want to enjoy you every moment of it." He told me as he walked me to the bedroom. He got his way, but then again he always gets his way.