PART ONE

Chapter 1

Though wary about letting the three into her house, she knew he, of all people would at least know his kin and yet, she was able to use her own power to see that in fact, none were lying. With her touch to their temples, she was able to see into their minds, her powers allowing her to read the thoughts of vamps, which she never could before. It had become handy to be able to do so and yet, knowing what she knew now, that these were his family, she had questions and clearly, she knew, he had a few of his own too. Allowing then into her house, she saw they were dressed simply and yet carried that air of regality that they had, their status back in the day being of royal. Sometimes she forgot that about him, and as she watched as he paced the room, the others sitting gently on her furniture, she wondered what was going to go down. Knowing their track record, she had a bad feeling about all of this.

"Well, this is….a little awkward and certainly the last thing you could have expected." the waifish young woman started the dialogue. "My name is Elsa….not anything like that stupid Disney character, not by a long shot, I was Elsa before she was cool." she was trying to break the ice and saw that it was to be a daunting task. "Um, and of course, you know our parents Astrid and Ulfrik…." she trailed off as her brother kept a steely gaze on the three sitting on the couch opposite the one he and Sookie were seated on.

"I just want to know how this is possible, the last time I glanced at you, all of you were dead on the floor. I left almost immediately after those responsible and took a group of our me with me…..then I was mortally wounded and then I was turned….then…it took me centuries to avenge you and I did it. As you well know." Eric said. "I would love to know how you got the crown back, my office is well protected now, I have-"

"Friends and family who work there, yes, we know….but I long ago learned to be a good spy." Elsa said with a clever smirk, her slight accent revealing itself to him more. He turned to his parents and still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "I just want to know how this is possible."

"You were lured to go after the wolves and the vampire responsible for our apparent demises. But what you didn't know was that Russell Edgington, he had an accomplice and made quick work of turning us and keeping us from you with their maker's hold over us. Your sister was revived by blood and thought would be valuable so she was raised by Edgington's accomplice as he took off on his own, raiding, pillaging and killing as if he himself were a Viking." his mother said, starting to speak at first in their native Swedish but switching fat to English. "Sorry, I do prefer my home language…." she said looking at Sookie briefly before continuing. For a very long time we were kept, to what means, we never really knew. And eventually, our captors were killed, thus freeing us from being in thrall to them. We were free to explore the world and her had been told long ago you were dead. Somehow, I never believed it." Astrid looked at her only son with a faint trace of pride upon it. "I never really gave up and upon our return to our home, we were stunned to find that it hadn't been only us turned. That all of those not killed were turned as well and upon seeing us, they wanted us to rule, to maintain our life as we knew it, as if nothing had ever happened. Granted, we have somewhat changed with the times, we like most technology. For the most part, we do prefer the simpler times of before and the castle where we supposedly dies, it exists, more fortified. But returning there is still like walking back in time. Out little society of a few hundred-"

"Some of our people…still live?" Eric asked, looking almost incredulous.

"Yes and they remained loyal to you, to our family even when they thought us lost for good. But we came here to bring you home. To take your rightful position and here, I now offer you what your sister retrieved for you." Ulfrik nodded to Elsa to hand him toe crown, but Eric looked at it, shaking his head.

"That's not my life….not anymore." he replied, waving the crown away.

"Would you at least return home, even of only to visit? You can not pass up what you don't know, what you haven't seen in years and years. Come for a stay and perhaps you will find the life you live now isn't really what you want." Astrid said, looking at Sookie with a faint look of dislike and Eric picked up on it, leaving the room in a huff.

Chapter 2

"He is sill as headstrong as ever." commented his mother as she and her family next turned their attention on the girl in front of them. "We have learned a lot of his life in the past years, he ahs certainly been through some great struggles and trials." Astrid commented. "He seems to….have affections for you. A girl what is clearly more than human, I think we all scent something about you." there was a look in all three of their eyes that warned her that they may try something. And she lit her hands up with a bit of warning magic to show she could, would defend herself if need be. To her relief-slight-none of them had seemed intent on attacking her. Actually, they all looked rather impressed.

"We had heard faeries still existed but….we knew there was something about you…your scent lingers at his bar too…..if only those humans knew who he was, his birthrght, perhaps they wouldn't be treating him like some object to be fawned over." his father seemed to disapprove of his son's current position in life. "He could take whatever he wanted, if he so wanted. Not that we are talking global domination, non of us want that." he added quickly, seeing the worry on the barmaids face. "We are happy in our little corner of the world, ruling over our people, caring for them. You must think of us as barbarians…..out of the past…."

"I got used to your son." Sookie quipped, trying to strike a kind tone to her voice, but they were making her nervous, she didn't like the idea of them taking him back with them to give him a taste of the life he could have had. What if it wound up being something he did want? What if they had other surprised in store….what if they had another in mind for him?

"Perhaps I misjudged you, from what I know about you, what we have heard, you have saved our boy many a time and he yours. That there have been good times and bad and yet….well, there is a fierceness in you I sense and a loyalty. Markings of a good match for him." Astrid said, her blue eyes stare offering a glimpse of warmth. "You seem to have affected him greatly….I sense he isn't even in the house any longer."

"Perhaps I should go out and talk to him, this has to be…..jarring to say the least. For ten centuries he thought you all dead and not only are his parents alive….in way…his infant sister is a young woman. And you add the fact you are all vamps too…..even he has his limits as to what he can handle. I'll go talk to him. Make yourselves as comfy as possible and there is some bottles blood in the fridge."

"New Blood, I would hope, we heard about his dealings in that as well….he has certainly been busy." Elsa mused as she took her up on the offer. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Nodding in return, Sookie headed out through the rear screen door and saw not a trace of him but with their bond, it was not hard and a few minutes later, she found him sitting on a trunk by her pond. Some funny moment had been had there in the past, along with some moments just a few paces from there, she thought to herself as she recalled his period of amnesia and what happened during that time. But she saw he looked tense, almost withdrawn as she saw next to him. "They seem like good people. " she didn't know how to begin the conversation. "And if you want to go see that they have built back in your homeland, I wouldn't blame you. I would even be willing to come with you."

He turned and looked at her, face unreadable, save for that spark in his eyes. "I never expected this….all this time I mourned them and they were merely in the shadows….when they learned I was alive, why not come sooner?"

"I think they were maybe….afraid….what with the world changing around them and what happened to them….it had to be awful being basically enslaved for all that time…..and they thought you dead…it doesn't matter, does it? They are here now and they want to be a family again."

"I have a family." he snapped, looking abashed as he saw the wince on her face. "I mean, I had made peace with their loss, especially once I killed the one responsible…..but I suppose the deed was never really done, I never really avenged them and now look at what they are. I am…struggling with this. But I need to be honest…..with you….I do want to see what they have there. When Pam learns of-"

Speak of the devil, the faerie vamp appeared, hands on her hips. "Willa said I should see you, after we got robbed by that blondie…who was faster and stronger than both of us combined….what the hell is going on?"

Sookie took the task of explaining things to Pam, who looked shocked. "Will wanted to come too but I can't leave Ginger unsupervised….you can't really think they are legit….." she looked from him to Sookie and after Sookie told her that they were, in fact being honest, Pam seemed to only get angrier. "You left me…us once before and now you are thinking of running off again! You aren't leaving without me, or anyone else…." the fact she seemed to fear him ever coming back was something she had hated to think about and considering the last time he skipped town, he hadn't planned to return….it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that it could happen again, with his family reunited, albeit in a bizarre way, but reunited nonetheless.

"I am going with him and trust me, he is not skipping out on anyone, but he…deserves the chance, right, to see, to experience a life that was stolen from him." Sookie said to her friend, remembering how at odds they had once been. Funny how time had changed things. "Please, Pam, stay here and keep the rest of things running smooth, ok? With my magic, I can get us straight home if anything happens."

That seemed to appease the vampire only slightly, enough to at least removed the very angry look on her face and turn it to one of annoyance. "If anything happens on your watch-" her threat was very real, even with them being friends and Sookie appreciated the concern. This new reality, a shattered reality, was not yet knowing if it was going to be good or bad but it was certainly strange. And usually, in their past experiences, very few strange occurrences turned out well for them "Y'all better be back in a few days or I am hunting you down. And if he is hurt I don't care who I have to cut through to get to him." and in a huff, she was gone, leaving the two to return to the others in the house to discuss travel arrangements

TO BE CONTINUED