Surprise by PersianFreak
Sequel to Life Goes On
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris; I'm just having a little fun with her belongings.
Rating: T
A/N: Companion to Life Goes On. Set after FDtW.
So here it is, you guys! Let me know what you think. Chapter 2 will be up soon.
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"Are you ready?" Eric's voice came from the darkness behind me. I felt his hands on my hips and his cool lips on my neck. Suppressing the 'no' rising in my throat, I nodded. I had to do this, there was simply no other way. I couldn't avoid it forever (well, technically I could, but then again, that was exactly the point), and my family and friends deserved to know.
They deserved to know that two weeks ago I had been kidnapped by the now former king of Nevada (and Louisiana... and Arkansas...), and then had been forced to watch as my boyfriend of (at the time) four days was blackmailed. They deserved to know that I had been given the choice of being turned by either my boyfriend or the king's second-in-command, a man whose chronic cheer made creepers crawl up my spine, and that I had picked the former. Most of all, they deserved to know about what I had become: a vampire, an immortal, and that I would be spending my immortality with the man now holding me in his arms. They deserve to know, I chanted to myself as I walked out of the woods towards my old home, stopping just outside of the foliage. Old in every sense, for it had belonged to my family for generations, but it was no longer a home to me. The town of Bon Temps may have been tolerant of its first (and only) vampire, but a telepathic vampire was simply too much for it to handle. I knew that, and I thought I had accepted it, yet I found myself being threatened with an overwhelming wave of sadness on the verge of swallowing me whole.
"Do you want me to stay with you, or wait here?" Eric asked softly, his breath tickling my shoulder.
"I think it's better if you wait," I murmured, careful not to let my voice betray how unsure I really was, "I need to do this alone." I felt Eric's nod against my shoulder and I turned around, finding the courage I sought in his eyes. He kissed me lightly, his lips feathery soft against mine, before disappearing back into the darkness of the woods. My vampire sight still allowed me to catch a glimpse of his sapphire eyes, which only brought my task back to the forefront of my thoughts. Taking a deep breath (that I didn't need) out of habit, I began walking towards the front porch of the home of my mortal existence. I didn't need to be told that I couldn't step inside the house without the permission of the resident of the house, which I no longer was. This meant that I would have to break the news to Amelia outside on the porch despite the cold if I didn't want to begin the conversation with "Hey, can you invite me in since I'm a vampire now?" I shook my head and chuckled to myself bitterly. I trudged up the steps and up to the front door, where I hesitantly rang the doorbell... of my own house. Amelia opened the door dressed in her favourite flannel pyjamas, her hair up and her face makeup free. The moment she laid eyes on me, she let out a squeal that must have woken up half the town.
"Sookie!" she threw her arms around me, clearly delighted to have me home, and I found myself hugging her back and matching her grin, losing myself in the moment.
"Hey, Amelia!" I pulled back and looked at my best friend. That was when my weak illusion of humanity crashed down around me; the scent of her blood hit me and I found myself simultaneously attracted and grossed out: it must be Amelia's time of the month. Embarrassed and shockingly thirsty, I pulled back, my grin fading as I did. Amelia? She was far from noticing.
"Well, come on!" she waved me in, but I needed more than that. "Where's your luggage? Who drove you?" Her eyes searched the darkness behind me, and for the first time she sensed the Not Quite Right aura.
"Um, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked uncertainly, wishing desperately that the waves of calm Eric was sending my way would be more effective, "Out here?" Her frown deepened, but she nodded. I settled gingerly on the porch swing and patted the space beside me, watching her every movement as she complied.
"Amelia, something happened to me in Vegas," I began carefully, my voice barely more than a whisper. I looked up, expecting a look of confusion on Amelia's face but instead found... realization. Cold, hard realization immediately followed by horror. She stood up, her every muscle tense with shock, and I found myself mirroring her.
"Vampire!" she gasped, pointing a finger at me. I tried to tell myself that it didn't hurt, that a small part of had expected this reaction, that it would take time- oh who was I kidding? But Amelia wasn't done. "That's what your aura is! I knew it was different, off somehow... Sook, you're a vampire!" There was a silence why we stared at each other, both trying to get a grasp on the situation. I finally broke the silence by laughing incredulously; I had imagined every possible outcome save for this. I had taken into account every little detail save for Amelia's sense of the supernatural as a capable witch. Of course she would pick up on my aura, how had I not realized it? Just as the weres and shifters would be able to detect the change in my scent, the witches would be able to pick up on my aura.
"Oh my God, Sookie," In a second her mood shifted to sadness and I was once again in her arms. "Why didn't you just tell me? I didn't know you wanted it!" I stared at her, my eyes widening.
"I didn't," I admitted quietly, "I was forced."
"What?" she shrieked, her voice echoing in the cold night. I quietly told her the entire story, beginning from what had happened in the limo. Her eyes widened even further and she gasped and smiled in all the right places, and I found myself relaxing, even getting into the story. I finished feeling strangely drained but happy.
"So, when are you moving back here?" she asked expectantly, "I mean, I'm sure we can lightproof your room and stuff, and there's..." her voice faltered at my expression and her's fell in response. "You're not coming back, are you?" I shook my head, and made an attempt at speaking.
"I can't," I pointed out, "First of all, I don't have a job here anymore; Bon Temps can't deal with a telepathic vampire barmaid, and there's nothing else for me to do here except be the town freak. More than usual." I added, laughing more at myself than anything else. "And there's no point in me living here anymore. Besides, Eric asked me to move in with him. Permanently." She brightened up at that, forsaking the bad news for the good ones, and making me tell her everything.
"So where is lover boy?" she asked brightly.
"Right here," Eric's cool voice supplied from behind her, "Hello, Amelia." Amelia squealed and jumped up, spinning around at the same time to face all six feet four inches of gorgeous Viking on her front porch.
"Oh, hi," she breathed, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment at having been caught off guard, in her PJs, no less. She turned to me long enough to shoot me a dirty glare for not warning her before returning her attention to Eric.
"So I hear you love my best friend," Amelia began in a voice that reminded me strangely of her father. Eyebrows arched questioningly, Eric nodded, the hint of an amused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "What exactly are your intentions with her?" There was a pregnant pause, during which Eric looked sincerely thrown, before Amelia burst out laughing, quickly followed by me (I had been suppressing giggles for a while now), and then Eric himself.
"So, do I have to invite y'all in or what?" Amelia asked at last, shooting impish looks at the two of us, and when we nodded, she snorted and shook her head, inviting us in for drinks. We ended up staying there for hours, until dawn had grown uncomfortably close, just talking. Eric sat by the fire with an indulgent look in his eyes as he sipped his True Blood and watched us gossip like we hadn't seen each other in months instead of days. I even managed to get some packing done thanks to some cardboard boxes I had kept in the attic, and Eric made plans with Amelia to have his day man pick them up for me as soon as possible (a notion I was still uncomfortable with: other people running my errands for me). I also had the chance to talk to Amelia about the house, which in the end Amelia agreed on renting from me, which provided her with a house to herself as well as one close to Tray (who, as it turned out, she had gotten quite serious with). In the end, however, we had to leave. There was much hugging which made me feel lightheaded with happiness at her acceptance of my condition (as I had grown to call it). Amelia even worked up the courage to hug Eric, having evidently gained more respect for him when she learned of how he had saved and avenged me (a notion he vehemently dismissed). To my surprise, Eric hugged her back, briefly holding her to him before releasing her and politely stepping back. I stood on the porch, looking between my boyfriend and my best friend, wondering what the hell had exactly happened. I resolved to shaking my head and walking away, thinking that there was just no way for me to wrap my head around how human Eric was rapidly becoming.
"How are you feeling, darling?" Eric asked me later that night when dawn was a mere hour away, his finger drawing invisible patterns on my bare skin, my head resting comfortably on his chest. There were no words to describe how blissfully happy I was so I settled for overwhelming him with the wave of emotions I felt but I was interrupted by his lips hungrily moving against mine. I chuckled and stroked his hair, wrapping my limbs securely around him, as if I feared he would be taken from me.
"Oh, and don't let me see you flirt with Amelia again!" I threatened mildly, suppressing a smile. Eric's brows furrowed in puzzlement.
"I... flirted?" He enunciated the word like he had never used it before. Knowing him, he probably never had.
"You hugged her." I pointed out, mock-dryly. His eyes widened.
"That was flirting?" I nodded soberly. He contemplated that for while, his eyes troubled, until I was shaking with silent amusement. His eyes tightened into slits and he rolled on top of me, caging me in his arms. "That wasn't flirting!" I shook my head, finding it too hard to respond through the hysterical laughter.
"The expression... on your face!" I gasped before howling with more laughter. He growled, a sound that rumbled deep inside his chest
"If dawn wasn't minutes away, I would fuck you senseless for toying with me, woman!" Eric growled into my ear. That sobered me up, but my eyes twinkled playfully.
"Promise?" I asked hopefully. He groaned and rolled off of me, rolling me with his so I was lying with my head on his chest once again.
"How am I supposed to govern an Area when you act this way, lover?" he grumbled, smacking my shoulder lightly.
"You do a good job of governing my area." I smirked seductively. The bed was still shaking with his laughter when I surrendered to my daytime slumber.
