Sookie was quietly crying by the end of Brighid's tale. There was so much about Brighid's life that was similar to Sookie's and so much that explained Eric's behavior. Sookie felt like she needed to rethink every interaction she had with Eric. Suddenly, she had questions about how much of his horror and grief in the hospital had been for what Neave and Lochlan had done to her and how much was for the wife he thought he lost the same way. How much of his love for Sookie was because of Sookie and how much was because she reminded him of Brighid? When he was protecting Sookie was it because he loved her or because he was trying to make up for not protecting Brighid?

"No, no. Don't think that. Eric isn't one to love by halves or risk himself out of regret. I'm sure he loves you just as deeply as he ever loved me," Brighid attempted to comfort Sookie.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"We share a godfather or a sponsor or whatever Desmond is to us. I've tried to explain that telepathy isn't actually a gift and that clothes or a college fund would be way more appropriate but he just doesn't seem to get it. He always gets horribly offended that I don't understand the honor of being gifted with a rare daemon trait. I would stay out of your head, but I'm a little worried that you're about to go into shock."

Sookie took several deep breaths to calm herself. Going into shock and passing out seemed like a terrible idea. She wanted to keep her wits around Brighid and needed to learn everything she could. So far, in just over two hours, Brighid had willingly told Sookie more about the Fae than any of her relatives and been more forthright about Eric's life than he ever had. Sookie wanted to take full advantage of having a willing source of information about the crazy Supe societies she had been thrust into.

"Why didn't Eric ever tell me any of this? Or Pam? Someone should have mentioned you!" Sookie exclaimed.

"My best guess is that it was just too painful. From what I've been told, you met Eric less than a month after I was taken. I don't think he ever gave himself the chance to truly mourn our loss. Plus Eric was never big on sharing. Getting him to tell me simple things like when he would be home from work or what upcoming vampire events we needed to attend required FBI level interrogation tactics. I get the feeling he hasn't changed that much."

"Getting information from him, especially important information, is like getting blood from a stone."

Brighid laughed at that. "It's good to know he's still the same man. As for Pam and everyone else, I've been told Eric banned all mention of me in his territory on pain of final death after my father told him I'd gone to the Summerland. Apparently he was fairly crazy with grief and prone to violent outbursts."

"How did you get away from Neave and Lochlan? Where have you been for the past four years? Why did you break the blood bond?" Brighid's story was finally starting to sort itself out in Sookie's head and Sookie realized there was still a lot of ground to cover.

"I have a feeling Eric is going to want answers to all those questions as well and I'd rather just tell that tale once. The past few years haven't been the happiest. Except of course for having the twins, but even that has been bitter sweet since I couldn't share it with Eric. Would you be willing to wait for tonight so that I can tell you both at the same time?"

"Of course," Sookie whispered as she realized that all too soon she would see Eric reunited with the woman he loved so much he found a way to impregnate her and the children born of that love.

"Sookie, I'm not here to take anything from you. I love Eric and I hope that he still loves me, but I know he must love you too. Supes are terrible gossips and I've been hearing a great deal about how devoted to you he is. The only way you'll lose Eric is if you demand a divorce or we don't deal with this Oklahoma bitch."

"You really think he's going to choose me over you and his children?"

"I don't plan on making him choose at all. Fae and Vampire marriages don't contain a presumption of monogamy. No one in either community will expect him to choose between us and I don't either."

"I don't think I can live like that." Sookie was working herself into one of her fits of poorly planned, assumption based, drastic action that would be better if discussed with the relevant parties ahead of time.

"Sookie, I know what I've been saying goes against everything you were raised with. I'm talking about huge life altering changes for you, but, from what I understand, if you divorce Eric you will likely be shipped off to Fillipe de Castro by morning. Take a month and really think about your options. Talk to Eric about what he wants. Give me a chance to show you that being co-wives could be a great benefit. Get to know the children. You could have children of your own."

"I don't want to pass on my disability."

"Telepathy is only really a disability when you live exclusively in the human world. You don't live in that world any longer and neither will your children."

Sookie was starting to work herself up into a fit. As much as she always said she didn't want to pass on telepathy and as much as she told herself that her new world was too dangerous for children, there was a part of her that deeply longed for them. There was a part of her that dreamed at night of having a little girl with Eric who looked just like a blue eyed Lilja.

The phone rang and startled Sookie out of hyperventilating. It was Tara, wondering why Sookie wasn't at church that morning and asking if she was still bringing over Sunday dinner. At just the sigh from Sookie, Tara knew to let her off the hook. Tara may not know all the details of the craziness Supes brought into Sookie's life, but she did know what her oldest friend sounded like when she was dealing with too much. Tara told Sookie to just skip this week. People had been dropping off meals every day since the twins were born and the fridge was full of enough leftovers to supply a church picnic. Sookie really wished she had been able to keep her Sunday plan, but given the circumstances she was grateful to have one less responsibility.

As Sookie hung up the phone, Dermot came down the long driveway with a truck full of construction supplies. Sookie realized she had a crock pot full of gumbo and her Gran's pecan pie that needed to be eaten up. She offered lunch to Brighid and the twins, realizing it was one and they were likely all hungry. Brighid politely declined explaining she was vegetarian. ("I know. It's weird for the wife of a vampire to be vegetarian, but I figure I'm helping to balance his karma.") Brighid also wanted to give Sookie some time alone to deal with all the changes that morning had brought on her life, which Sookie was very grateful for. Brighid was packing up the kids to go find a restaurant for lunch and then a park for them to run around in until they came back to meet Eric, when Dermot came into the house.

"Niece, I have returned. Are you not going to your friends for lunch?" asks Dermot as he entered the living room from the kitchen. Dermot stoped short when he saw Brighid and her children standing in the middle of the room.

"Uncle Dermot this is Brighid, Leif, and Lilja," Sookie started to make introductions.

"It's good to see you again, Dermot. It's been too long," said Brighid.

"It was thought that you were dead," Dermot said harshly.

"It was the only way I could keep Neave and Lochlan from coming for me," Brighid replied calmly.

"Are you here to take my niece's husband from her? Does he know you live?" Dermot asked.

"No, of course not. She has brought him comfort and joy and love when I could not. She loves him and I would not take that from her or from him. But, now that the threat of Neave and Lochlan is gone, I want my children to know their father and I want my husband back if he will still have me. I came to Sookie first so that she will have time to think before seeing Eric."

"You intend to let both marriages stand?" Dermot asks for clarification.

"That is my desire, but it will be up to Sookie and Eric if that comes to pass. It seems Sookie has been kept unfortunately ignorant about both our ways and the ways of our husband's people. Eric and I will be having a talk about that and then we will fill her in on the ways of vampires. I think it may be easier for her if she gets her education into the ways of the Fae from you," rebukes Brighid.

"Of course. I am her kin. I will teach her the ways of our people, if that is what she desires."

Sookie was shocked. For the last four years Sookie had been trying to figure out the Supe world and in one morning Brighid had already told Sookie more than her own family had told her about her Fae family, declared that she will get Eric, of all people, to tell Sookie all about vampires, and gotten Dermot to say he will teach Sookie about the Fae. Sookie didn't believe for a second that she would get the whole story from Eric or Dermot, but she had a strong feeling that Brighid would fill in anything they leave out.

"I need to get the kids off to lunch. Dermot, I hope we will be able to catch up soon. I'm hoping to be around a lot so Sookie and I can get to know each other. Sookie, I've put a lot at your feet today. I'm sorry that I've dumped all this on you. Please, promise me that you will take some time to think through everything you've learned today before you make any decisions?" Brighid pleads.

"I won't do anything today," says Sookie.

"Good," Brighid smiles brightly at Sookie. "I'm going to suggest that you stay at this house for the rest of the day and near Dermot. I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but the Fae tend to be very hot tempered and prone to rash action when isolated from our kind. Being around Dermot and the Fae magic in this house will help you think rationally about what you have learned."

"I was only planning on going to church, Tara's, and Gran's grave today anyway."

"Is she buried in the cemetery on the other side of the driveway?" asks Brighid.

"Yes, all the Stackhouse's graves are there."

"You could still go to your Gran's grave. I think that's close enough to the house and Dermot for you to remain calm. I'm sure it will help you sort everything out to talk to her."

"Yeah, I always feel better after I talk to Gran. Sometimes it feels like she can answer me."

"Maybe you're starting to manifest your powers. Fairies are able to talk to the dead at some sacred places in Fairy and some witches are able to talk to the dead as well. Perhaps that's a good place to start your training. You may be able to help her briefly manifest her spirit in this realm so you can chat."

"I could actually talk to my Gran?"

"Maybe, for witches it takes a lot of concentration and for the Fae it only works at the sacred places and only with deceased Fae. But you are Fae and human, so the two elements could work together to let you become a medium."

Sookie was near tears at the idea that she could speak with Gran again. There was so much to say. Why didn't she ever tell Sookie about Fintan? Or Mr. Cataladies? What would she say about how far Sookie has fallen from the Christian values she was raised with? How would Gran suggest Sookie deal with Eric and Brighid? Then there were the little things that Sookie just missed. She had found herself struggling to remember some of the folksy sayings Gran was so fond of, to hear them again would be wonderful. There were a few of Gran's recipes that Sookie couldn't find and couldn't remember. One of Gran's rosebushes was struggling and Sookie knew that Gran had a special solution that she would mix up for it, but Sookie had no idea what it was.

"Sookie, I will be happy to help you explore becoming a medium. Right now, I need to get the kids off to lunch," says Brighid softly.

"Of course you do. Are you coming back?" Sookie asks.

"I'd like to come back just before dark so that we can talk to Eric together. I don't think he will believe I'm alive if he doesn't see me and I don't think you should have to pretend this morning didn't happen."

"I don't think I could ever pretend this morning didn't happen."

"You do look kinda shell shocked."

"Guess it's good that my outsides match my insides."

"I'm the same way. I often thought the bond was superfluous, since my face is as easy to read as a billboard."

"Except it is nice to have a heads up about what is going on with Eric."

"Oh, he has his tells. They're just very, very subtle and hard to catch if you don't know what you're looking for. I'll help you figure them out." Brighid winked at Sookie.

Sookie giggled at that. Maybe having a co-conspirator against Eric wouldn't be so bad.

"There's one more thing before I go. I heard you like to read, so I brought you a couple of books that might help you see our plural marriage from a different perspective." Brighid reached into her hobo bag, pulled out two books, and handed them to Sookie.

"Sex at Dawn and Opening Up, what are they about?" Sookie asks.

"Sex at Dawn is about the evolutionary biology of human sexuality and what is natural human sexual behavior versus social constructs. It really challenges the preconception of monogamy being natural, although it doesn't offer any opinion on how humans should behave. I know it sounds like a boring textbook, but it is written in a really accessible way. Plus, the science they cite is fascinating.

"Opening Up is a book about the various ways people arrange non-monogamous or polyamorous relationships. I like it because it isn't demanding an end to monogamy like some books on ethical non-monogamy. This book acknowledges that some people are just monogamous or only want a few close partners. Some books on the subject act like if you aren't being militantly slutty then you're a victim of Puritanical sexual hang ups and need help finding your true self. I find this book to just be more respectful of the diversity of individual preferences."

"So you want me to read these books so I'll think it's okay for Eric to have two wives?" asks Sookie.

"No. I want you to read these books so that you have another human perspective to see the situation from. I understand that you have been raised in human culture and still think of yourself as human. Asking you to make a major relationship decision that simultaneously requires you to cast off your human identity is cruel. I just want you to know that good, moral human beings have these kinds of relationships so that your decision about our marriage and your acceptance of who you are get to be two separate processes."

Sookie takes a deep breath, "Okay."

"Good," Brighid smiles. "We'll see you in a few hours. Try to get some rest. I have a feeling Eric is going to need a lot of talking down tonight. Come on kids. Let's go get lunch."

The kids race out of the house and jump into the Prius, like they've been promised a trip to Disneyworld. Sookie and Brighid say a quick goodbye and Sookie stands on the porch, watching Brighid drive away.