Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Mysteries, its characters and settings, are the intellectual property of Charlaine Harris. Though this runs to the books not the True Blood TV series, that belongs to HBO (Just in case). I make no profit from writing this.

Dead Set

Chapter One

It was a balmy night in the middle of summer. Even I had been too hot in the day, and I drink up the sun like a bee drinks nectar. I was dressed in a cool cotton tank top, grateful that working hard in the garden meant my arms were still trim and tanned. My denim cut-offs weren't as short as I used to wear, but that tends to happen when you become a Mom, and when you pass a certain age. But all in all, my hair was shiny smooth and sun kissed, my skin was a rich oiled tan and for my forty-five years I still looked pretty good.

Quiet moments were hard to come by, so I'd taken a spare few while the kids were finishing up their homework. The radio babbled softly in doors, but all else I could hear were the buzz of insects and the soft whisper of a breeze in the trees. I closed my eyes, savouring the feel of the marginally cooler air kissing my face. It seemed to be whispering my name.

"Beautiful as ever," the wind whispered next.

Except it wasn't the wind. It was a voice so familiar it made me ache with a sorrow I thought I'd shed a long time ago. Afraid that it was my imagination - and also afraid that it wasn't – I took a moment to breathe before I opened my eyes.

'Beautiful as ever' about summed it up. Eric hadn't changed a jot in twenty years. Though why this surprised me I couldn't imagine. Eric was a vampire, and I know he would always look the same. But everyone else had changed so much in the time since he went to Oklahoma, me included. Yet there he was, all six and a half foot of him, long blonde hair and a smile that could melt ice. I found the corners of my own mouth twitching into a matching smile, but my voice was wary as I said, "Eric. What are you doing back in Louisiana?"

"Not pleased to see me, lover?" he asked, walking towards me and starting up the porch steps. Despite the heat, he was dressed in dark jeans and a suit jacket. Absently I wondered if he had dressed up for me. "I've not been back long. You were high on my list of people to visit." He looked expectant. He wanted me to be grateful.

"That wasn't what I asked," I said carefully, listening closely for sounds of life within the house, wondering how long I had before the kids would come out to see where I'd gone.

"I am staying at Fangtasia, for the time being, though I will need to re-think my domestic arrangements. That is Pam's place now and it annoys her when I interfere. What am I doing in Louisiana?" He seemed to ponder the question for a little while, as he made his way closer to me. "Having been released from my bond to Freyda, it seemed the obvious place to go. Though from the welcome I've had, I am questioning that decision."

"Released from Freyda..." I said faintly, but any further comment was broken off when Adele clattered through the screen onto the porch.

"Mom, I'm done!" she was calling, her bare feet slapping on the boards as she ran towards me. The sight of a stranger looming over her mother stopped her in her tracks, blue eyes wide, instantly shy.

I held out my hand to my youngest, while watching Eric carefully. I was unsure how he'd react to the knowledge that I had children, though he must surely have guessed. Eric was watching Adele as closely as I was watching him. "Come here, baby girl. This is Mr Northman. He's an old friend of mine."

Adele slid up onto my lap. I can't hear him, her soft voice said in my head.

I know baby. "Mr Northman is a vampire, like Uncle Bill," I said aloud, knowing Eric would be suspicious if we remained silent too long.

'Uncle Bill' raised a smile, but he refrained from passing comment. Instead, the Viking took a final step forward and crouched down, so he didn't completely dwarf the pair of us. He held out a cool pale hand to my daughter. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Strackhouse."

I was about to encourage Addie mentally to take Eric's hand, but she was way ahead of me. Eric's pale hand engulfed her small tan one. "How come you knew I had Mom's name? Normally people think I have Daddy's name."

Eric grinned, his teeth brilliantly white even in the darkness. "You look more like a Stackhouse than a Merlotte. And this is a Stackhouse house. There have been Stackhouses here for generations."

I knew he was mocking me with my pride over my heritage. Well, hang him, my family were good people and I had every right to be proud.

"Are you going to invite me in, Sookie?"

Addie looked up at me expectantly. I like him, I heard clear as a bell, though I don't think she'd meant to let that slip. Of course she liked him. There was no resisting that charm when he turned it on. I drew a deep breath and stood, lifting Adele up onto my hip, though she was really getting too big. "Eric, would you like to come inside?"

"I would. Thank you."

I eased Addie back to the floor as we crossed the threshold. Eric was looking around him, no doubt noting the changes we had made and the many things that had stayed the same. "Now upstairs and brush your teeth. Make sure your brother does as well. And I'll know if you don't do it properly."

Addie was brimming with resentment that she had been dismissed from the company of this stranger, but at that moment I just couldn't give two hoots. Eric's marriage condition that I be spared the attention of the vampire community had made it much easier to keep Addie's 'gift' a secret, but I still didn't trust him not to exploit my only daughter if he found out.

In a New York minute I heard the clatter and thump of the kids racing towards the bathroom. Eric's eyes narrowed just a little, and that made me chuckle.

"Have a seat," I told him as we moved into the kitchen. "Can I get you a bottle of blood?"

"No thank you, I won't keep you long."

He sat there staring at me, and it washed over me again how he was exactly the same as he had been - charming and gorgeous, dangerous and inscrutable. "Ok, spill. Sam will be back in-"

"In about thirty minutes, I know. I've been keeping an eye on the house for a couple of nights." I thought quickly. Last night had been my turn to work late, and the night before had been family night where we all stayed home together. Even Hunter had come by briefly. Oh Lord, I thought, another 'gift' I have to hide. "So I will make this brief. Freyda has been killed by extremists in her home state. She was ... Unpopular amongst the humans. I won't go into details, but she was abducted and killed. The vampire authorities have been keeping the circumstances of her death quiet so as not to arouse attention in neighbouring kingdoms while a new monarch is chosen."

I sat back while that sank in. It had been so long since I'd needed to think about vampire politics. The only vampires I saw regularly these days were Bill and Pam, and they both knew better than to talk to me about that stuff. My head felt rusty as it creaked into gear, trying to keep up with what Eric was saying. "So your pre-nup?"

"Is void. Which means two things. Firstly, that I am free to see you as much as I want, and to come and go from Oklahoma as I please - though I am keeping a firm base there, the move turned out to be quite lucrative for me. And secondly, you are no longer under binding protection from vampires who wish to utilise your telepathy."

I sighed heavily, my head sinking into my hands. "I'm too old for this," I grumbled. It was a phrase I hated and had sworn on my thirtieth birthday I'd never use, but at this moment it was the God's honest truth. Forty-five was too old to be worrying about being enslaved by ruthless vampires. When I looked up again, Eric looked highly amused. "And what is so funny?" I asked, irritation sharpening my voice.

"I was just thinking how strange it is that humans place such value on youth. You were always beautiful and extraordinary. Twenty years have been like the blink of an eye for me, but to you it seems a great stretch of time. You are as beautiful and remarkable as ever."

I frowned at him. "Stop blowing smoke up my behind. You can't charm me like you used to, I'm too-" my sentence ended in a squeak as Eric moved at lightning vampire speed to take my hand, lifting it to his lips. My heart thudded as I saw his fangs had elongated and he was staring at my pulse point with a blatant hunger that I hadn't realised I'd missed.

"Say you're too old and I will bite. I can feel your body contradicting your words." He breathed in deep and smirked, his fangs reaching their full length as his eyes raked up my body to meet mine. He breathed deliberately, smelling the air. "I can smell the desire and the fear and the fairy."

I'm ashamed to say he was right. I love Sam and we were happy, had been all our married life - but there is nothing like a vampire when he gets that look in his eyes.

But then, with a hiss and a jerk, Eric had retreated again. He was scowling and examining his hand, then looked back at mine. "A silver wedding ring. Your husband has a cruel sense of humour."

"Sorry," I said quickly, "I forgot. It's not often I'm holding hands with a vampire these days."

Eric's ears pricked up. "It's time for me to go. I need to know that I am welcome here. It has been cruel on you, the way things ended, and for that I am sorry. But the circumstances have swung back in our favour." Though his teeth were back to a decent length, his eyes were still intense. "I have missed you, Sookie. More than I can say. And you won't believe it, but our parting was cruel on me as well."

He was right. I didn't believe him. But, naturally, he didn't leave me a chance to get a word in.

"May I come to your house again?"

"It's not like you to ask permission."

He cocked his head and made a proximate mimicking of my voice and tone. "That's not what I asked."

I had to laugh at that. "Yes, but..."

He didn't wait for my condition. In a blink he was gone, the screen door slamming belatedly shut behind him. "Can I play with him the next time he comes, Mommy?"

I turned to see two little spies in the doorway. My face flushed and I wondered how much they had seen - then tried hard not to think about that, before Addie could pick up on it. I thought about how Bill used to let the kids ride around on his back when they were smaller and use him as a climbing frame, how he used his super human strength to throw them around. "I don't think Mr Northman is a playing kind of vampire. But you can say hello, because that's polite."

I could feel the complex snarl of Sam's mind. Addie could as well, and she bolted for the back door with Cody hot on her heels. Thoughts of Eric had left their minds in favour of tackling their Daddy and demanding a bedtime story. My husband kissed my cheek as he ushered the children towards the stairs. I sat smiling a sad little smile and thinking about the day we got married.

It had been the dark before the dawn when I woke to see Pam looming over me as I slept. "Goddamit, Pam! You made me jump out of my skin!"

"Sorry," she said smoothly, not sounding a bit like she meant it, "I wasn't sure how to wake you. I've come with your wedding gift."

I smiled, remembering what would be happening in the morning and delighted to feel no jitters what so ever.

Pam leaned over me and brushed her cool lips against my forehead. "From Karin," she said, and my eyes drifted closed. Next she kissed my cheek, a firmer, more familiar touch with lingering affection. "From me," she said.

Then her lips were brushing against mine. Were I more awake, more alert, I might have pulled away. But I didn't, and Pam's lips lingered, moist and cool against mine. Tilting her head, she pressed her lips more firmly against mine, but she did not deepen the kiss further. "And that one is from-"

"I know who it's from," I whispered, my eyes still closed. Bitter pain tainted my joy, quickly turning to anger that he would ruin this day for me; that he would not even ruin it personally, but send Pam to do it for him.

When I opened my eyes, Pam seemed oblivious. She was smiling and pleased feline smile, and ran her tongue deliberately over her lips. "Fairy," she sighed. I rolled my eyes, though could feel a smile creeping back onto my face. "This is from him as well. He told me to stay and make sure you read it. Then you can go back to sleep."

Pam dropped a small envelope onto the blanket. I picked it up, figuring it would be best to get it over with. Inside was a single folded sheet of paper, and his familiar handwriting. It said, 'Today by your laws and traditions you will belong to another. But in my heart you will always be mine. With love, respect and felicitations, Eric."

I nodded at Pam, feeling both sad and happy in a way that only Eric could make me feel.

"Congratulations, Sookie. You will be radiant. I only wish I could see." Pam pressed another parting gift to my cheek, and melted into the shadows.

I hadn't read that note again since. I hadn't told anyone about it. It had been slipped, in a quiet moment in the early hours of that morning, into the secret compartment that had hidden Gran's final letter to me - and there it had stayed. I thought of that note, and wondered that I hadn't realised at the time that, were it possible, Eric would come back to me. Now all I needed to do was decide what I was going to do about it ... And what to tell Sam.