Disclaimer: I own nothing, these characters belong to Ms. Harris and Mr. Ball.

Author's Note: These are my thoughts on Season four as we wait until June. I will be incorporating some of the spoilers that have been leaked later on. I have also decided to ignore some story lines from season three such as the Sam/Tommy fiasco and the Jason/Crystal love story. I personally hate what Mr. Ball is doing to Sam's character and think the direction he's heading with Jason and Crystal is ridiculous so I hope you don't mind me leaving them out. I will be using first person, but I will switch between characters as I see fit, and don't worry, I'll let you know when I'm changing characters. This is a Seric based fanfiction and I will probably head a little further into their relationship than we are likely to see in Season 4. This is rated M for later chapters. Please read and review!

CHAPTER 1

Sookie POV

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, expanding my lungs to their maximum capacity. The air tingled in my nose and the back of my throat, tasting fresh and crisp as if I were chewing a piece of wintermint gum. I would miss that.

I opened my eyes slowly taking in the beauty and wonder of the world I was in: the sky colored periwinkle with few clouds painting its canvas; the intense shades of green of the foliage, the pinks, purples, reds and oranges of the wild flowers dotting the grassy meadow in which I stood. Everything was so much more colorful here than back home, full of life and magic. That's what this place was, a place for magic.

I smiled and called upon my own magic, a bright light forming in the palm of my hand. In my time here in Fae my new found family had taught me how to harness my power; how to call upon it at a whim instead of it only making itself known when I was angry. I had been taught to use my light as a formidable weapon as well as how to effectively protect myself with it. I formed the energy into a ball and tossed it lazily into the air a few times before closing my fingers around it and extinguishing it in a puff of smoke.

I heard a chuckle from behind me and turned to see my great grandfather leaning gracefully on a cane. I smiled warmly at the man I'd come to love, admire and respect in the last few months. "My lord," I dipped my head respectfully.

"My lady," he replied, dipping his head in the same manner. "Have you been waiting long?"

I shook my head in response.

He smiled, crinkles forming around his beautiful honey colored eyes; eyes that held so much wisdom and power. He moved toward me with a fluid grace that took my breath away. He was so beautiful, as everyone was here in Fae. Even I had begun to change, my body embracing my fairy heritage as my powers had begun to manifest themselves.

The blue of my eyes had intensified in color, now an almost unnatural cobalt blue. My tan had deepened drastically due to the constant exposure to the sun - the sun never fully set here, only giving way to twilight for a few short hours before the second sun would crest the horizon. My skin seemed to shimmer with the light of my power as if I were wearing glitter across my entire body. My hair had grown incredibly long, the ends now brushing my lower back whereas it had only reached just past my shoulders a few months before. Lastly my ears had taken on a slight point, nothing compared to a full blooded Fae, but it was noticeable enough to me. Honestly I liked all the changes and I knew that if I were to stay in Fae indefinitely I would eventually blend right in with the natives. As tempting as that was, I also knew that I needed to go back home, which brought me back to the man standing before me.

My great grandfather didn't seem to notice my attention had wandered for a moment or two. He was busy creating a mini tornado with a swirl of his wrist, an ability I hoped to master soon. He caught my eye and smiled again, this time at the look of fascination and wonder on my face. He took my hand, bringing it to his mouth and brushing a light kiss on my knuckles. "I wish you would reconsider and stay here with us, there is much left to teach you," he didn't beg, he didn't plead, he seemed to know what my answer would be.

I smiled. "I know, but I have family and friends back home, I miss them."

He nodded and lowered his hand, still holding mine gently. He gestured to a bench indicating that we should sit. "There are things which you must know before returning to your world Sookie," he explained as we crossed over to the bench.

"Like what?" I asked, more than a bit curious.

He considered for a moment before answering. "Between our realm and yours, time moves at different speeds. The world you left behind may not be the same when you return," he began. "I cannot tell you for certain how much time has passed for your family and friends."

I nodded slowly, not completely sure I understood what he meant. I had been in Fae nearing on four months now, and a glorious four months it had been.

"I must also warn you to be careful with whom you trust the knowledge of your abilities," he nodded to the tornado he had created, still causing a gentle destruction to the grass. The winds he'd created weren't strong enough to do any serious damage, but it did flatten the grass in the area around it. "There are those in your world that would wish to destroy you in fear of your capabilities, others who would try to control you for their own gain."

"Vampires?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement.

"Amongst others," he nodded. "The supernatural world is much larger than you could imagine, Sookie."

I frowned, I would mull over that little tit bit later on. "Will I see you or Claudine again?" I asked.

"Of course," he patted my hand reassuringly. "I cannot guarantee it will be regularly due to the time differences, but we will check in often. I will send Claudine to continue your training, but I must say, I am truly impressed with the speed in which you have learned."

I grinned, I just couldn't help it. When the Prince of the Air Fae - or any Prince for that matter - complimented you, a girl just had to feel special.

"It is time," he said after a long moment. "Is there anything you wish to bring back with you from Fae?"

I smiled sheepishly and touched my fingertips to the silver band that encircled my head, coming to a slight dip over my forehead like a widows peak. The intricate carvings told a story I had yet to decipher, and the yellow stone in the center I thought represented the Sky Fae. I was suspiciously sure that it was a yellow diamond, a yellow diamond the size of my thumb nail.

"Of course you may keep your crown, child," he said as he stood. "It was made especially for you many years ago." He draped an arm casually across my shoulders as he led me westward into the forest, his other hand twirling his cane lazily. The tornado followed behind us gaining strength as it tore flowers from the ground and sent them disappearing into the vortex.

When we crossed the tree line that divided the meadow from the forest, there were two long lines of the Fae people waiting for us. They had created an aisle for us, and bowed their heads slightly as we passed giving me farewells and well wishes for a safe journey.

"Wow," I smiled at those I recognized and turned to my grandfather. "Quite the turnout for me."

"They are saddened to see their Princess leave this world," he replied as we reached a clearing in the woods with a small pond. I recognized this place from my dreams months before, a portal to the other world, my world.

He stopped at the pond's edge and Claudine stepped forward from the crowd to give me a tight hug. "We will miss your light here, cousin," she said warmly as she placed a kiss on either cheek.

I didn't have words to say goodbye to the woman that had become a cherished friend and mentor to me. I pulled her in for another tight hug before turning back to my great grandfather. The tornado he'd created earlier was spinning in front of him again. He reached inside the winds, immediately dispersing them and pulled a beautiful bouquet of flowers out from the center. He examined them thoroughly before handing them to me. "If cared for properly, these will grace your home for many years to come," he explained with a twinkle in his eye.

I grinned like a fool as I cradled them delicately in the crook of my elbow. "Thank you all, thank you so much for everything," a tear escaped the corner of my eye and rolled silently down my cheek.

My great grandfather and Claudine each placed a hand gently on my shoulder as the lead me to the waters edge. "It is time," Claudine said; she had tears of her own streaming down her face. "This portal will take you back to the graveyard."

I nodded as I stepped into the warm waters of the pond and carefully waded into the center. I turned back to my family and friends giving them a bright smile as a clutched the flowers closer to me and took a deep breath. With one last fleeting look at the world that surrounded me I sank to the bottom of the pond. I found the old door at the bottom with ease and pried it open then swam silently through it, making sure to close the door behind me as I entered another world.

I wasn't sure when I had closed my eyes, but when I opened them I was standing alone in the silent graveyard I had left four month prior. It was bright and sunny, light streaming through the canopy of trees above me. The air felt damp, a clue that it was morning and the dew from the night hadn't quite evaporated yet. The wind picked up and swirled around me, drying my skin and the gown I was wearing in a matter of seconds. I smiled, knowing that was the work of my great grandfather.

The bouquet in my arms remained intact, not a single petal had been lost in the journey home. I stepped over to my gran's grave, pulling a single red flower out and placing it gently on the ground in front of the head stone. I repeated the same process for both my mother and father before turning east and heading home.

Elsewhere, two men were resting, not together as one was much further away than the other. At the exact same moment each awoke with a start, looking wildly around the blackness that enveloped them for the source of their sudden awakening but finding nothing. Each felt something neither had experienced in ages. Warmth and happiness engulfed them, the smell of sunlight and magic clouded their senses leaving a tingling sensation that would last for hours.

"Sookie," they each breathed, both men feeling a smile tug at their lips before the pull of the sun urged them back to rest.