Author's Note-I know this is a little after the fact….meant to post on St. Patrick's day but things happened and I have just been insanely busy….I like doing fun, holiday inspired stories and this one shot I hope is one you like. As always, read and review and thank you! The next story will be Episode #4 and it is going to be a ltitle longer than the others FYI J

She had taken great pains to make the bar look festive and was bracing herself for the inevitable folks who would use the holiday to overdo it. But St Patrick's day was only once a year and it wasn't like she was helpless nor was there no one around that wouldn't step in and help handle things. She had worked here for years though and there had yet to be any real trouble at the air, either under Sam's running of the place or now, with the feisty Arlene running the show. And with all the vamps on staff here, well, she felt safe. But again, she herself had her power to help protect her, should it be called upon, though she would prefer it not come to that. There was plenty of green everywhere, including her own hair, whish she had put narrow stripes of a emerald green in and so her ponytail was blonde and green, not too overdone and she had to laugh to herself, wondering what a certain person in her life would think when he saw it. She had, of course invited him to the festivities but knew he was ever the workaholic, caring very much about his own club. Not that he didn't make time for his loved ones. He did. But she also knew how much his club meant to him and that he had some of their family working there too….she figured it was fine to let him have his time with them and not just with her. Sookie didn't want to go back to being her old selfish, self absorbed self. That former version of herself had certainly helped create more trouble than she could have imagined and she shuddered to think of her past errors in judgment.

"Hey little leprechaun…do you have a little Irish in you?" she heard a voice call to her as she went outside, leaving the festivities. "Or perhaps a little] Viking in you…or I could put a little of that in you?" she rolled her eyes but couldn't stifle the grin on her face at the saucy remark and walked over to here he saw in the pavilion kitty corner to the bar. A place where she had once had a brief but meaningful conversation about death, when she had been desperate to help Bill with his hep v. in retrospect, she wished she had done things differently, had behaved differently and though she missed her first love and friend, she knew she was where she was meant to be. The past was in the past, though clearly, her hubby's dirty mouth was still the same as ever, though at least now she found it more endearing and funny than grating and annoying as she had when she had first met him.

"God, you are the worst." she said as she slapped him playfully, turning her head back towards the bar where the party was only beginning to ramp up. She sighed as she sometimes felt he acted like a little less mature than his age and yet, it was another endearing thing about him. So many facets to him and she loved every part of him. But back to the present, she reminded herself as she stopped herself from reminiscing yet again.

"Anyone try anything funny yet?" he asked casually, as if itching for the chance to get into a fight with some drunken redneck. Not that he too didn't think she could defend herself. He knew full well what she was capable of and yet she appreciated he always looked out for her and was ready to defend her. that Viking honor of his, she thought to herself as she let him get a little touchy feely with her, though she was using care to make sure they weren't walked in upon by those coming and going from the bar. "Stop!" she teased as she herself reached around and pinched that wonderfully firm rear of his.

"I don't really get this holiday…people dress in green and get drunk….." Eric said with a amused grin. "I take it there is more of a meaning to it than that….."

"Yeah, I am sure it is but hell if I know what it is." she replied as she frowned. "didn't even notice my hair." she rolled her eyes. "Men. they never notice anything."

he looked abashed, albeit feigning it. "I certainly did notice, hard to miss green hair, though with all I see at the bar, it is nothing new to me, though it looks good on you….I take it it washes out?"

"Why? do you want a little Irish touch?" she said with a grin. "it's a spray and I have a little more at the house."

he pulled a face. "If I showed up at the bar with green hair, Pam would have a conniption fit, its more than my life is worth having her pissed off, believe me. too bad you didn't see when I hot my hair cut when it got…..soiled."

"She told me about the blood in the hair incident….though she spared me if the details and I don't think I would want to know anyway." she paused as she gave him a look. "Right? I wouldn't want to know? I mean, I do have the ability to see your memories and if I wanted to I could….but I wouldn't want to know, would I?"

"No, I doubt it though you, I am sure know our friend Lafayette was involved…times have changed though, we both know that. And for the better." he said, reassuring her.

"Anyway….do you want to go in and enjoy the party? We have plenty of drinks for you to pick from…Arlene made sure to order only the best blood for the fanged guests….." she said. "Too bad you can't get drunk, maybe you could get lucky."

"Who said I can't get drink? You and I both know how that can happen." Eric said with a grin as they both thought back to his romp years back when he had inadvertently killed her faerie godmother. It had been a interesting time, to be sure and there were memories that she would not ever want to forget. "I would rather not have you a hot mess in front of our friends and family…."

"I wasn't thinking of making a spectacle of myself here….but later on maybe…." he replied as she felt a hand pinch her rear. "Either way, I do plan on getting lucky, sober or not. I do have my…what do they say…..charms about me?"

"Lucky charms…..too bad you can't eat the cereal. Its one of my favorites, with marshmallows and-"

"Aren't cereals mostly pure sugar and aimed for the child set?" he asked with a funny look on his face. "You….actually eat that stuff?"

"You're just jealous because you are missing out on one of the great treats of my childhood….what did you have when you were growing up?"

"I think we have veered off topic from this drunken holiday….although I suppose drinking did play a part in my past as well….as much fun as that was, I don't miss it that much, I actually prefer drinking something else….something sweeter." he grinned as she rolled her eyes, moving just so her neck was out of reach. She did like toying with him and patted him gently.

"Not here." she said laughing as he pulled her close and started to so covertly paw her chest. They were just out of sight of some people coming and going into the bar but not so concealed that she was about to let him keep going. As much fun as it was. And as good as it felt. Sometimes she felt as if he had magic in those hands of his, no other touch from any other of her past flings had melted her like his did. "I thought maybe you'd want to join in the party…." she said in a pleading sort of voice, flinging her green tinged hair over her shoulder as she let it out of her ponytail and fluttered her eyes. And five minutes later they were in the bar, amongst the revelers, amongst the scents of booze and fried foods. After a hour if chatting with their friends and family, they left the bar and busting out her secret stash of faerie made wine from Faery, Sookie started drinking straight from the bottle. Thanks to her genetic makeup, her body could take regular alcohol and it would take a ungodly amount to get her even slightly buzzed. But being mostly faerie, this wine called Bliss, was able to get her into a state of affairs she so rarely got into. But tonight seemed like the night. And taking her deep into the woods, near the pond out back, they did as they so desired-she getting drunk off her wine while he did the same off her blood and far enough from the prying eyes and ears of the partiers. And after a playful romp in the woods, laughing and carrying on, they collapsed back on the shire of the pond, still wearing clothes, albeit their clothes askew.

"God I needed that. " she said after they finished a drunken make out session.

"You are too uptight sometimes….nice to see the wicked side come out to play. She should do that more often." he said as they lay on their backs, looking up at the moon. "It will be fun to hear you explain how your clothes got dirty."

"I was off the clock twenty minutes ago. " she said with a grin. "And with all the vamps we have working at the bar, service I am sure hasn't suffered in my absence.." she paused. "So….now that I got the spirit of the Irish in you, I think perhaps I could use a little Viking in me….and not the spirit." she said, her voice slightly slurred. "But not here, back at the house. I may be drunk but we are too close to the bar for my comfort. Though I doubt you'd mind putting on a public display."

"Not normally….but if you want to take this back home, so be it." and with that, he flew them straight home where they both got extremely lucky. It was certainly a very happy St. Patrick's Day.

THE END