A/N: Hi everyone! So this is something that I have literally been picking away at for five years, though it originally started out as an original work. I hit a road block after the 6th paragraph and couldn't keep going...until I watched True Blood. Something clicked and I was finally able to get the words flowing on this :-) Hope you like this one shot inspired by the song by Matthew Morrison. I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!
She heard the knock at the door as she was chopping lettuce, the hand that was holding the knife going numb as her breath caught in her throat. The sound of her fast-beating heart flooded her ears as she slowly walked towards the door, wondering if she should turn and run to the safety of her bedroom. She knew that peering through the peephole would present her with a face that would reduce her to tears, no matter who the owner was.
As she reached for the doorknob, memories flooded her mind. Carefree teenagers indulging in a summertime swim, then falling asleep entwined under the stars. So much love between two who felt as though they could take on the world. The memories shifted to those of the same people, only older and less carefree. Memories of smiles and happiness turned into those of tears and fighting.
Another knock pulled her out of the recesses of her mind and the breath that she was holding whooshed out, her fingers moving to grip the smooth brass knob as she willed her eyes to stay open. She turned the knob and pulled on the door, using what felt like all of the strength in her body to do the simple task. She nearly collapsed once she got the door open enough to look up at who was on the other side, the predicted tears starting to fall as she gasped for air. "Oh God," she whispered, resting a shaky hand over her heart. It took what felt like ages before the shock wore off, then she closed the distance and found herself finally embraced in arms that hadn't held her in nearly a year.
Few words had been spoken since he'd turned up on her doorstep, her dinner preparations forgotten when he'd lifted her in his arms and made his way back to the bedroom. The lovers had spent hours relearning every curve and line of each other's bodies, barely coming up for air as one round of lovemaking turned into multiple rounds of claiming each other again and again. Only murmured confessions of love and want passed their lips as they gave to and took from each other.
He held her close after they physically could not go on any longer, staring up at the rotating ceiling fan as he felt her fingers gently trace a scar on his side. It was an old one for him, a bullet wound nearly eight months old, but he knew it was a fresh one for her. "You cut your hair," he whispered as his fingers toyed with the shorter strands, fully aware of the fresh tears that she had begun to shed. He hated that he was the reason for her tears, hated that he didn't know how to make them stop.
She nodded as she nuzzled her face against his chest, breathing slowly to help calm her tears. "About two months ago. It was turning into too much of a hassle to deal with," she murmured, not telling him that he ultimately was the reason for such a big change. He had been gone far longer than usual this time, and each passing day had her slipping into a deeper and deeper funk until her hygiene was severely impacted. She'd finally had enough of her grungy ways, making a rare outing to have a stylist hack off a good portion of her long locks. "I would have sent a picture, but…you know."
He sighed softly, lovingly tightening his arms around her. "I know," murmured in reply, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair. They both knew that any mail, if it even got to him, was burned minutes after being opened. His job was a dangerous one and anything found on him could lead to her being in danger. But that obviously didn't count mental pictures, and now he had a new one to add to his vault. "I like it. It suits you," he told her, gently twisting some of the locks around his hand. "And it's still long enough for me to tug," he said teasingly, letting out an exuberant laugh when he saw her cheeks redden with embarrassment. "Twelve years together and I still make you blush, it seems."
She opened her mouth to argue that with his absences it was more like barely six years together, but she knew those words would start a fight that she wasn't willing to have at that point. "Just means you're going to have to say and do things like that more often," she started to reply, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the look in his eyes. "After we eat, buster. Gotta give a girl the chance to recharge," she added with a grin as she wiggled out of his grasp, slipping on his black t-shirt that they had discarded on the floor earlier.
He tugged on his jeans as he watched her walk out of the room, fighting an internal battle with himself as he stood to follow. He didn't have long until he had to leave again and knew that he needed to tell her, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about breaking her heart one more time. From the whispers he'd heard, he could be gone this next time for even longer. One thing he knew for sure, though, was that this was it for him. He was done with having to leave her and never knowing when he'd get to see her again. He owed it to her, especially after how she'd always stood by him, to finally come home for good.
Two hours later they were sprawled out on the living room floor, the empty pizza box and what little clothes they had been wearing cast off to the side. She was curled up once more against his side, her head resting on his chest right over his heart. She knew deep down that their time together was probably not as long as she wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to ask just how little time they had. She listened to the beating of his heart as his fingers danced up and down her spine, zoning out until she felt his chest rumble as he spoke. Her head shot up as she tried to process what she'd just heard, breathless as she looked at the seriousness in his eyes. "What…what did you say?"
He sat up so that he was leaning against the couch and brought her up with him, his hands framing her face as he dipped his head to brush his lips against hers. "Marry me?" he repeated, more confident than his previous whispered question. He could see the protest already building on her lips, so he chose to give her another searing kiss. He knew they'd talked about it in the past, knew they'd decided to wait until he was home for good, but he couldn't wait any longer. He wasn't sure what type of mission this next one would be, and he wanted to be sure she would be taken care of if anything happened to him. He'd pulled many strings in the past to be sure that she would be the one notified as next of kin if anything had happened to him, but there was no way for him to get his benefits to transfer to her.
She could feel the tears well in her eyes as she kissed him back, pouring all of the love that she had for him into their embrace. While they'd talked many times about getting married, he'd never actually asked her. Hearing him say those words made her heart soar more than she ever thought it could. "When?" she asked softly after they broke away from their kiss, already calculating in her mind how much time off from work she would feel okay requesting.
He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth to respond, knowing that what he needed to tell her most likely would not be received well. "Within the next eight hours," he finally answered, barely managing to hold back a wince as he saw both the hurt and the anger in her eyes. He tried to grab her hand as she scrambled to her feet, but stopped as he saw the tears start to fall. "I tried to get more time, but it wasn't possible," he said softly after a few moments. "I'm sorry, baby. Please don't cry."
She set her jaw as she stared down at him, closing her eyes for a few moments as she tried to gather her thoughts. This was the moment that she had waited for since she'd first kissed him at age 16. Of course she wanted to marry him. She couldn't remember a time when she didn't want to marry him. How many times had they talked, and fought, about it in the past? She opened her eyes and looked down at him, staying silent as she watched different emotions wash over his face. She knew that there was something that he wasn't telling her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She saw the yearning, almost pleading look in his eyes and she felt her heart begin to beat faster. She dropped to her knees in front of him and took his face in her hands, resting her forehead against his before whispering the one thing she had sworn never to ask of him. "Promise me you'll come back to me."
He let out a shuddering breath as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck as he held her close. In all of their years together, she had never once asked him that. He knew she could be superstitious about things, which meant she never wanted to jinx his chances of coming home. He could tell how much she hated to say those words, but could also tell how much she needed to hear them. "Always, baby. I'm always gonna come home to you."
Two hours later they found themselves standing before the sheriff of the next town over, someone who had always been a good friend to them. While performing a marriage ceremony at 3am was out of his usual jurisdiction, the sheriff was only a tiny bit reluctant to help the pair out. He even was going to go as far as expediting their paperwork to the Army base, making sure that everything was in place legally. "Y'all have any vows you want to say?"
She barely heard him as she stared up into the eyes of the one person she loved most in the world, desperately trying to hold back tears so that she could speak. "I have loved you for twelve years, maybe even more than that. You are the one person that I trust most in this world, the one person that I know I can count on when times get tough. I hate that I've missed you more than I've seen you in the past twelve years, but I am so proud and thankful that I have you in my life. I can't imagine life without you in it. Until my last breath, I am yours," she whispered as she placed a hand over her heart, giving his hand that she held a small squeeze.
"Christ, baby. You said that you wouldn't get all mushy on me," he said with a small laugh, blinking back tears of his own. "I know life with me hasn't been what you'd planned on, and I know that this isn't the wedding that you've dreamed of. But even with all of our ups and downs, you have stuck by me. I still can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life and to have your love, but I thank God every day for that fact. I am so grateful to have you as the one person that is a constant in my life, and I promise to make up for all the time with you that I've missed. I love you so much, baby. Until my last breath, I am yours," he murmured as he brushed his lips against hers, deepening the kiss a little as they were pronounced husband and wife.
She let out a peal of laughter as he swept her up in his arms, letting out an indignant yell as he hoisted her over his shoulder. "Put me down, you big oaf!" she yelled, then could only shake her head as he started to walk out the door with her. "Thank you for everything!" she called to their friend, giving a little wave as they moved out of sight. "You are in such big trouble," she said once they got outside, wrapping her arms around his neck as he settled her down on the hood of her car. "Don't you dare think of trying any funny business out here," she told him with a small laugh, batting away his hands as they started to slide up her dress. "We don't need to get arrested for going at in the parking lot of the police station, husband of mine."
He let out a small growl as he began to plant kisses up and down her neck, pulling her tight against him as he moved in between her legs. "Well, then. I should get my wife home so that I can have my way with her in private," he murmured, fire in his eyes as he gave her a searing kiss. He helped her off the car and into the passenger seat, his fingers gently caressing her bare thigh as they sped back to the apartment. He had her back pressed up against the door the moment they got inside, his lips claiming hers as he reached behind her and flipped the lock on the door. "If I didn't love this dress so much, I'd be ripping it off of you right now," he gasped out, his fingers frantically tugging at the knot behind her neck.
She pushed him away slightly as she shimmied out of her dress, smirking a little as she saw his eyes glaze over. "While I appreciate that, since it's one of my favorites…all of the rest of this is fair game," she murmured, standing before him in a white strapless bra and matching boyshorts that she had bought a few weeks' prior on a whim. She let out a gasp as he pulled her close again, her fingers fisting in his hair as his lips resumed their assault on her neck. "I love you so much," she gasped out as his lips moved lower, her hips rocking against him as she felt his hands grip her ass.
He lifted her up and pressed her against the wall once more, his hips pressing his obvious arousal against her center as his lips closed over a lace-covered nipple. He let out another growl as her legs wrapped around his waist, lifting his head so that he could look her in the eye. "I love you too, baby. And I love how you feel wrapped around me," he whispered as his hips rocked against her, feeling the heat radiate off of her and through the fabric of his dress pants.
"You have too many clothes on," she gasped out as his teeth nipped at the swell of her breast, managing to get her hands between the two of them to grip his shirt firmly. She pulled hard and yanked his shirt open, hearing the 'ping' of each button that fell off as she shoved the shirt down his shoulders. She gently raked her nails down what she could reach of his chest, smirking a little when she felt him shudder at her touch. "Put me down," she murmured almost reluctantly, shoving him back a little once he did so that she could kneel before him. She kept her eyes trained on his as she unzipped his pants, the room electrified by the tension between them as she reached in and wrapped her hand around his hard length.
"Fuck!" he exclaimed breathlessly as he felt her hand on him, bracing a hand against the wall as he gazed down at her. One of his favorite things was the fact that she knew just how to work him into a frenzy, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from losing control as her hand began to pump up and down. He growled out her name as she dipped her head after a few pumps, nearly putting his fist through the wall as the warmth of her mouth engulfed him. His head dropped back in ecstasy as her head began to bob, feeling her hand work at whatever she could not cover with her mouth. "You're too damn good at that, baby," he gasped out as his hips began to rock with her movements, resisting the urge to wrap his hands in her hair and guide her faster.
She let out a moan of approval as she felt him begin to move with her, moving her hands to pull his pants down all off the way and giving his bare ass a squeeze. She pulled back as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants, making a noise of protest as he bent down to scoop her up. "I wasn't done," she murmured against his lips as he moved them into the kitchen, reaching down to continue stroking him as he walked.
He set her down on the kitchen table and dropped to his knees, the look on his face daring her to protest as he pulled her to the edge of the table. "My turn now," he replied huskily as he nuzzled her lace covered center with his face, sticking out his tongue to lick her slowly from bottom to top. His hands gripped her hips as he heard her let out a small cry, gently holding her down as he repeated his previous action. His hands moved to grab the top of her boyshorts, a grin coming to his face as he heard the satisfying sound of them ripping. He didn't waste a beat after revealing her glistening folds, dipping his head back down to start licking and nibbling.
She cried out his name as she felt his tongue begin to tease her small bundle of nerves, her whole body humming with pleasure as he slipped two fingers deep inside of her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he continued his assault on her, barely able to contain a yell as she felt his fingers curl within her. She teetered on the edge of her release for what felt like an eternity, then everything came crashing down when he replaced his fingers with something decidedly longer and thicker. "Fuck!" she yelled out as her eyes shot open, her arms scrabbling to wrap around his neck as he pulled back and slammed into her again.
"I love watching you come, baby. But I love feeling it even more," he gasped out as he felt the residual tremors of her orgasm cause her to clench around him even more, his fingers digging into her hips as he continued to move his body against hers. He watched her breasts bounce with each of his thrusts, his hands moving up to rip away the bra that kept them contained. He tossed it to the side, then dipped his head to softly bite down on one of her nipples. The strangled cry that she let out sent a shiver through his body, his eyes glazing over a little as she arched her body against his. He could feel that she was close to losing herself again, and he knew that he wouldn't be too far behind her.
She gasped out his name as her hips thrust up to meet his, dragging his head up so that their lips could harshly meet. She was panting hard than she ever had at this point, already feeling that delicious build up low in her stomach. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him even deeper inside of her, biting at his lower lip as she scraped her nails down his back. She heard him growl out her name as his hips pumped even faster, then she couldn't hold back any longer and came with a yell that was muffled by his lips. She felt him thrust deeply a few more times as he buried his face in her neck, then heard his strangled cry as he emptied into her.
He could barely stand on his shaky legs as he lifted her from the table, holding her close as he moved slowly back towards the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and collapsed next to her, pulling her against him as he tried to get his breathing under control. His eyes landed on the clock and he held her a little tighter, his heart clenching when he realized that his time with her was quickly drawing to a close. "I love you so much, baby," he whispered into her hair as he tried to keep his emotions in check, his heart clenching even more when he felt her body begin to shake a little. His fingers stroked up and down her back as he continued to hold her, his own tears starting to fall as her silent sobs continued.
A few hours later he quietly crawled out of bed, stretching a little before making his way to the bathroom. She'd finally fallen asleep after about twenty minutes or so, but he'd laid awake lost in his thoughts. He knew she'd be upset with him for not keeping her awake then or waking her up now, but he wanted her to get as much sleep as possible. He quickly ran through the shower and got dressed in a fresh t-shirt and a pair of cargo pants, drying his hair with his towel before hanging it up on the hook next to hers. He took a moment to look around the bathroom, smiling as his eyes fell on the little details that jumped out at him. Even though he hadn't been home for nearly a year, she had made sure that there was always a towel and other things ready and waiting for him. He moved back into the bedroom and grabbed his duffel bag, letting out a small curse as he noticed her starting to stir. "Hey, baby. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up before the cab gets here," he murmured, leaning down to give her a soft kiss.
She shook her head as he pulled away, letting out a small yawn as she rubbed at her eyes. "I already lost time with you by sleeping. I'm going to drive you to the station," she said softly, moving to get out of bed. The look in his eyes made her stop, confusion running through her as her heart began to speed up. "Do…do you not want me to go with you?" she asked, slightly scared of the apprehensive look on his face. "I can stay here, if you really just want to take a cab."
He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. "I want you there, if you want to be there. I just don't know if I want the other guys seeing me cry saying goodbye to you," he told her with a small laugh, burying his face in her hair as they just stood there in silence. He pulled away after a few minutes so she could get ready for the day, silently watching her go through her usual routine. He couldn't help but smile when she pulled on the shirt that he'd worn the day before, having already packed an extra shirt to replace that one. They both silently went about finishing getting ready, all too soon finding themselves in the car on the way to the bus station.
She was silent as she watched him get his bag out of the trunk of her car, nodding her head in greeting to a couple of the men who walked by. She opened her mouth to say something as she turned her head back towards him, a gasp leaving her mouth as she noticed him down on his knees in front of her "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked softly, dropping down to her knees with him.
He grinned almost boyishly as he dug his hand into his pocket, giving her a small kiss as he took her left hand in his. "I kind of did things in the wrong order, but I hope you won't hold that against me," he said as he pulled his hand back out of his pocket, keeping his eyes on hers as he slipped a thin gold band and then a small diamond solitaire onto her ring finger. "I've had these hanging out in my sock drawer for a couple of years, but forgot to grab them earlier."
She couldn't help the tears as she looked down at her hand, recognizing the rings as those that had been in her family for generations. "Great minds think alike," she whispered, pulling a chain that she had around her neck out from the t-shirt. On the necklace chain was another ring that had been in her family for generations, and it was the partner to those that she now wore. "I know you can't bring anything like this with you, so I'm gonna keep it safe until I can put it where it belongs," she murmured, running her fingers over his ring finger as she leaned into kiss him.
The two kissed as if they were the only ones there, not caring that they were attracting the attention of those around them. They stayed like that until a shrill whistle sounded, and he let out a sigh as he rested his foreheads against hers. "I gotta go," he said softly as he helped her to her feet, holding her tightly against him before reluctantly letting go. "I love you to the moon and back, baby. I'll try to call as soon as I can…take care of my favorite girl for me," he murmured as he gave her one last searing kiss, tears burning his eyes as he felt her cling to him for dear life. "I hate having to say goodbye," he whispered after pulling back, hearing someone shout for him to get on the bus.
She shook her head, leaning up to give him one last kiss. "It's not goodbye…only 'see you later'," she told him as tears fell from her eyes, resting a hand over her heart as she looked up at him. "I swear on all things holy…if you don't come back to me, I'm gonna find a witch to bring you back just so I can kill you myself," she whispered, grinning as he let out a booming laugh. "Take care of my favorite guy. I love you to the moon and back," she added as he started to walk backwards, her hand gripping at his shirt that she wore. Her eyes didn't leave his form as he turned and jogged towards the bus with his bag, raising a hand to wave as he turned and looked at her one last time before getting on the bus. She waved heartily until the bus was out of sight, not allowing herself to fall apart until she was back in the empty apartment. She shucked off her shoes and jeans and crawled into bed, crying herself to sleep as she tried not to think of how long it may be until she saw her husband again.
Eighteen Months Later
She let out a sigh as she pulled into the yard and put the car in park, moving to grab the bags of groceries out of the trunk. She stopped short when she noticed an unfamiliar car parked towards the side of the house, raising a brow as she grabbed the bags and made her way to the back door. "Who owns that car out there? Tell them we don't want whatever it is they're selling," she yelled out as she set the bags down on the kitchen counter, turning when she heard footsteps behind her. "You okay, Jess?" she asked, seeing a nervous look on her friend's face.
The younger red-head nodded excitedly, almost bursting at the seams. "We had a visitor while you were gone," she started, trying to drag it out for as long as possible. "And I know you would never want me to let people I don't know into the house, but…" Jess trailed off with a grin, seeing the older woman start to tap her foot impatiently. "Seeing as how he said he's your husband, I figured I could break the rules just this once."
She nearly dropped the jar of pickles in her hand, setting down on the counter as she felt herself grow faint. "My…my husband?" she asked, not sure if she'd heard correctly. "I swear to God, Jessica Hamby. If you're fucking with me on today of all days, I'm going to make your life hell," she whispered, though she began to move towards the living room. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw a familiar figure standing there, then let out a big whoop as she launched herself at him. "You're here, you're really here!"
He couldn't help but laugh as he caught her in his arms, burying his face against her neck as he swung her around. He relished in the feel of her being in his arms again, barely able to stand as all of his nerves rushed out of his body. "You are a damn sight for sore eyes, Sookie Stackhouse," he whispered as he set her down on her feet, stepping back to fully drink her in. Ironically she was wearing the same white sundress with red flowers that she had worn when they'd gotten married, though he noticed that she filled it out slightly more than she had the last time she'd worn it around him.
Sookie rolled her eyes as she looked up at him, unable to keep her grin from growing bigger. "That's Sookie Northman to you, buster," she said with a laugh, letting out a squeal of delight when he picked her up again. "I missed you so damn much, Eric," she whispered against his lips, resting her forehead against his. "Please tell me I have you for more than one night this time."
Jessica cleared her throat as she came into the room, grabbing her keys out of her purse. "I'm gonna head home, Sook. Let me know if you need me tonight or tomorrow," she said with a wink, then gave Eric a wide smile. "It was nice to meet you, Sergeant Northman. I've heard so much about you, so it's nice to finally put a face to all of the stories."
"Eric, please. And it was nice meeting you as well, Jess," Eric said with a nod, feeling Sookie's arms tighten around him. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around," he said with a smile, turning back to the woman in his arms once the other woman had left. He saw the questioning in Sookie's eyes, as well as the hope that was shining in them. "I'm home for good, Sook," he whispered, brushing hair out of her face as he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Happy birthday, baby"
Sookie's arms tightened around Eric's neck as the tears began to fall, unable to help herself from jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist as sobs wracked her body. "You're home," she whispered over and over as she kissed him all over his face, grinning down at him as he moved to sit them on the couch. "Best present I could ever ask for."
Eric laughed as he ran his hands up and down her sides. "I may have frightened your friend a little at first. I was letting myself in with the spare key, when she came into the kitchen. Damn near gave us both a heart attack," he said with a laugh, giving Sookie a soft kiss. "And not that I'm upset, but why is Hoyt Fortenberry living in our apartment instead of you? That was another heart attack that almost happened."
Sookie giggled a little, her fingers coming up to play with Eric's hair as she explained. "Hoyt started dating Jessica around the time that you left. They decided they wanted to move in together, but didn't want Maxine to be able to drop in at any hour. The farmhouse was too big for just the two of them, and way too close to Hoyt's mama, so they took over the lease at the apartment and I moved back here." She could see the confusion in Eric's eyes, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She was about to explain further, but a loud thump from upstairs cut her off. "A lot has happened since you left, Eric," she murmured as she stood up from his lap, holding out a hand to have him follow her. She wasn't sure how to tell him, after keeping the secret for so long, so she decided to just show him.
Eric was silent as he followed Sookie up the stairs, staring at her in confusion as she stopped outside the bedroom that she had used when she was younger. "What's going on, Sook? What happened while I was gone?" he asked, though he was almost afraid to hear the answer. Even though she seemed genuinely happy to see him, had she moved on with someone else? "Just tell me."
Sookie placed a hand on the doorknob of the closed door, taking a breath before turning it and letting the door swing open. "I know I should have told you, but I wasn't even sure how to get word to you. And then I didn't want to distract you," she whispered, using all of her strength to look up at Eric. "Her name's Adelaide. She'll be nine months old next week," she added, turning her gaze to the crib that was set up against the far wall.
Speechless. That was the only way that Eric could describe how he was feeling at that moment. "You…we have a daughter?" he finally was able to ask softly, leaning against the doorway for support as he legs nearly went out from under him. He could see the tiny face peering at him through the slats in the crib, his heart leaping into his throat as he heard the small "Dada!" that came out of her.
Tears of happiness sprung to Sookie's eyes as she rushed into the room, laughing boisterously as she picked up her daughter and held her close. "That's right, baby girl! Dada's home," she whispered as she planted kisses all over the baby's face, grinning as the little girl giggled. She turned her head and noticed Eric still standing there with a stunned expression on his face, reaching out a hand to bring him into the room. "We looked at pictures of you every day. I talk constantly to her about you," she told him, trying to keep control over her wiggly daughter as the girl reached out towards Eric.
As if on auto pilot Eric extended his arms and took Adelaide from Sookie, looking down at the child in amazement as she babbled happily to herself. "I…I don't even know what to say, Sookie. I wish that I had known. I would have tried to get home sooner," he murmured, though they both knew that wouldn't have been possible. He understood why she had chosen not to tell him, knowing that any knowledge of Sookie being pregnant would have distracted him daily. And a distracted Delta Force member was pretty much a dead one. "You shouldn't have had to go through this alone."
Sookie smiled as she shook her head, moving closer to rest her head on Eric's shoulder. "I wasn't alone, sweetie, so don't you worry about that. Jess and Hoyt have helped me out every step of the way, and so has Jason," she added, mentioning her brother who had moved back to town once she'd told him she was pregnant. "Speaking of, Jase wants a few words with you about not asking his permission to marry me. And the fact that we didn't invite him to the wedding," she said with a wink, leaning over to kiss their daughter's forehead. She noticed the lost look on Eric's face, causing her to bite her lip in worry. "I know this is like information overload…I'd planned to try and ease you into everything. I didn't know you were coming home, so I wasn't prepared."
Eric shook his head, wrapping an arm around Sookie as he continued to look down at their daughter. "It's not that…I just can't believe that we made something like her," he answered, awe apparent in his voice. To him Adelaide was the perfect mixture of his genes and Sookie's, though he could see more of Sookie in her face. "I'm gonna need to clean up your grandfather's old shotgun, before we ever let her out of the house."
Sookie couldn't help but laugh, feeling all of her worries wash away. "I'm sure Jason would like to join you on that one," she murmured, watching as her daughter's eyes started to droop. Even though the girl had just woken up from a nap, she'd been fussy all night and clearly still needed sleep. If Sookie didn't know better, she would have thought that Adelaide had somehow known that Eric would be coming home. "I'll help you lay her back down, then we can go make some lunch."
Eric reluctantly settled the baby back into the crib, leaning over to brush his lips over her forehead. He stood there and watched her sleep for a few moments, then held Sookie's hand in his as they made their way back downstairs. He wrapped his arms around her once they were in the kitchen, easily lifting her up and setting her down on the counter. "I meant it, Sookie. I'm home for good," he whispered, framing her face in his hands. "I told them I wasn't re-upping six months ago. I would've been home sooner, but we hit a major roadblock. It's done though. And I'm done missing out on life with you," he murmured, his eyes burning into hers. "I want to know about every single thing that I missed with you and our daughter."
Sookie tilted her head to give Eric a deep kiss, pulling him tighter against her body as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's make some lunch and get comfortable, then I'll drag out the scrapbooks and tell you everything. But, first…," she started, then reached behind her to undo the chain around her neck. "I do believe I have something of yours," she said, grinning as she slipped the wedding band off of the chain. "I'm gonna have to ask you to not take this off for the next fifty years or so."
Eric let out a small laugh as he watched Sookie maneuver the band onto his ring finger, blinking back tears as he smiled down at her. "Make it sixty or seventy, and you've got yourself a deal." It had been a long road to get to where they were, but they'd done it. And while he knew that there would still be stumbling in the future, he also knew that he'd always have her by his side to help him and support him. It felt damn good to finally be home where he belonged.
A/N: And that's that! Any knowledge of Delta Force (or similar teams) literally came from watching Army Wives, so apologies for any inconsistencies with that plot line. Since I'd started it as an original piece, I never named my characters...just referred to them as 'he' or 'she'. Decided to keep with that theme until the end. I truly hoped you enjoyed this...it felt good to finally get this completed! And now that it is, time to get back to working on the update for Begin Again :-) Until next time!