A/N- No sorry Eric is not the father of this child. Perhaps I'll write another story where he is but at the moment I'm still recovering from Breaking Dawn which was the most disappointing end to the Twilight series- oh don't get me wrong it was an okay book but not up to Stephanie Meyer standards, too anti climatic. Back to the story, thank you for your reviews and eric will make an appearance soon.

When I walked in my front door, the first thing I saw was Pam and Amelia on the couch, curled up in each other's arms, staring at a blank television screen, they both sat up when I came in but not quickly enough to make me think I'd interrupted anything important.

"You're home early" Amelia remarked concerned. I laughed, giddy with adrenaline leftovers,

"I think I just lost my job"

Amelia sat me down at the kitchen table while she made me some iced tea; Pam sat opposite me and tilted her head to regard me, "What happened?"

I gave them the blow-by-blow, no pun intended, account of the events leading up to my storming out of my favourite job yet. Both of them applauded my decision,

"If one of our waitresses is mishandled, Eric personally steps in to punish the guilty" Pam announced with a superior air, "You could come work at Fangtasia, Sookie"

I laugh at the offer, "Pam, I like you and Eric, but that would never work"

"Why not?"

"Cause five minutes into my first shift I'd have enough evidence of sexual harassment against Eric to wind up the owner of everything down to his boxer shorts"

"They are a fine collection"

Oh I knew this well already, having removed said boxers many a time, a few jockeys as well.

"Undoubtedly, but I would rather not take the long commute, besides..." I sigh wearily, knowing that it was time for me to reveal something I'd been keeping a secret from everyone.
"Niall left me his shares, royalty income and other assets anyway"

Amelia choked on her iced tea, "You didn't tell me that!"

"Nor Eric or I!" Pam accuses. I blush, "I didn't want anyone to know, I liked working at Merlotte's and just because I don't need the money now doesn't mean I should sit at home all day. I like keeping active, that's why I never took up Eric's offer to be his housewife"

I reach over and take her hands, eager to change the topic "By the way, have you told Eric?"

"Yes" she confirmed, and Amelia glanced between us.

"Told Eric what?" she asked curiously, assuming that the matter wasn't personal or secret. I open my mouth to distract her but Pam cuts in first.

"Sookie's expecting" Pam announced with no hint that she considered my need for secrecy.

Amelia shrieked to break glass, "Congratulations!"

She raced around the table to give me a big hug, kissing my cheek and gushing on about how wonderful it must be for me. It was several long painful minutes of her chattering before she realised a missing detail,

"Hang on" she exclaimed, standing up when the light bulb above her head finally went off, "Whose the father and when did you cheat on Eric?"

This tactlessness reveals the question that everyone is going to be asking themselves and their fellow gossipers once word gets out. I try to come up with an appropriate lie but once again Pam steps in with her clear cut manners,

"The male fairy that tortured Sookie"

Okay I guess she could have worded that worse, but she could have done better as well. Could have just left it as, 'the father is a fairy' that would account for her not meeting him, now they're all gone.

"Oh? Oh!"

I can almost see the light bulb as it flashes on and off above her head.

She recovers quickly bless her, hugging me again. "I can't wait...you'll be such a good mum, we can turn your old bedroom into a nursery"

I nod along with her words, feeling the slightest strain of enthusiasm as I begin to imagine redecorating my old bedroom. I was thankful then for Niall's money, until recently it hadn't done more than sit in my bank account, gathering interest. It had been too much for me to know how to spend; I hadn't done more than have work done around the house. Afraid that at any minute the money would disappear and I'd have to give everything back.

"We can look at decorations in Shreveport together" I suggest, knowing I had only a small window of opportunity to get manual labour out of the way before my unborn baby started making the decisions for me.

Speaking of Shreveport, I glance to Pam, waiting for her to mention Eric, to extend an invitation for us to visit Fangtasia or remind me to give him a call.

She didn't say a word.