A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story, read my story, put me on the favorites, and added me as an alert. It's overwhelming. A special thanks goes out to my wonderful beta reader! I'm glad you all are enjoying where my story is headed. I hope you feel that way after reading this chapter. I know a lot of you are anxious to find out how she got pregnant. Toward the end, I switch to Eric's POV.

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Claudine's eyes widened for a moment, and then a look of confusion glazed over them.

"Sookie, how can that be possible? Well, I know it's possible, but you haven't dated anyone for some time now, right? Not since Quinn. Are you sure it's not just a bug going around or something? Some of the dancers at the club are sick with the stomach flu right now."

I hung my head. "Umm, not exactly."

She raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean not exactly?"

"I know it's been some time since I went out with anyone. It's okay, though. I had enough of dating for the moment. It was nice to be by myself for a little while." I paused wondering how I was going to tell her without being too embarrassed. Claudine listened with curiosity.

"Go on…"

"Well…" I blurted out the words as fast as I could. "Eric came to see me a couple months ago. I knew he wanted to have a talk about our being bonded and what that would mean for us. We did manage to talk a little, but well…we umm…didn't talk the entire time."

Claudine looked at me for a moment and then her face broke out into a grin. "Oh Sookie, if Eric is the only one you've been with recently, then you can't be pregnant! He's a vampire for goodness sake."

I sniffed. "Then how? The doctors did two tests just to make sure, and I'm definitely pregnant. I didn't have my period last month, but with all the stress I've been under, I thought maybe that was affecting it. So, I didn't think much about it. But then I missed it this month too. Plus, I've been getting sick a lot lately. Sam thought I might have that bug too, and I was just going to let it run its course, but he insisted I go to the doctor this morning.'"

Claudine reached over and placed a hand on my abdomen. "Sookie, honey, you probably just have the flu. You can't be…." Her hand reeled back and the look on her face was one of sheer fright. She jumped up off the bed. "We have to call Niall right now."

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I started to panic. "What? What is it? You just said that I couldn't be pregnant and now you're telling me we have to call Niall? Come on Claudine, you're starting to scare me!" So much for not telling anyone!

She didn't answer me. She just reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Niall's number. She made her way to the living room, and I followed right behind her trying to listen to what she was saying.

I grabbed the bottle of water I left on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. Claudine hung up and was about to say something to me when Niall suddenly appeared, looking a bit confused and worried.

"Claudine, are you certain of this? Are you're sure it was with him?" he asked.

"Yes," she said anxiously. "I felt it myself. I'm not sure how, but she is pregnant. She said that he was the only one she'd been with recently."

I had been listening to the conversation going back and forth between the two fairies. I didn't need her rehashing my sex life to anyone, especially my great-grandfather. I hate being left out of conversations that involve my life, and it was making me angry.

"Will you two please stop talking about me like I'm not in the room? I'm sitting right here!" I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. Both Niall and Claudine were taken aback by my outburst.

"My dear child, I'm so sorry. Of course we know you're there. We weren't trying to ignore you." Niall came over and sat down beside me. He picked up my hand and patted the top of it with his other in a comforting effort. "I'm just so concerned about what Claudine told me. Are you absolutely sure you're with child, and that Eric is the only one you have been with?"

I snatched my hand away incredulously, "Of course Eric's the only one I've been with! I don't sleep around!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't implying you did. It's just that, well, this is extremely rare. I have only seen this a couple of times in my long life. I believe the last time it happened was when I was very young."

Claudine flopped into the chair across from us. "What do you mean it's rare? I didn't think it was possible for a vampire to have children. They're dead, after all."

Niall looked at Claudine and then down at me, sadness consuming his face. "Sookie. This is something that is rare, but it is possible for a male vampire to impregnate a human female. The mating would produce an offspring called a Dhampir, or Dhampiresa if it was female."

I was stunned into silence, a confused look on my face. Claudine had the same look of confusion on her face too.

"Are you serious? How come I've never heard of this?" she asked.

"Probably because it is rarely talked about. Besides, it involves vampires and humans. It doesn't really concern fairies."

He turned toward me again, "Dhampirs first appeared in Balkan society centuries ago among the Roma people. It was believed among the Balkan people that male vampires had a great sexual desire for female humans, so a vampire would return to have intercourse with his mate or with a woman he was attracted to in life."

Well that's Eric right there. Eric was a whopping 6'4" pillar of sexual desire, and it seemed like it was all directed at me. I shook the thought from my head and listened as he continued.

"A dhampir is believed to have great strength, many abilities, a tremendous fighting prowess, as well as the bloodlust of its vampire father, but none of the weaknesses. It can walk about in daylight, and although it may drink blood for nourishment, strength, and healing, it can also consume food like a normal human."

I sat back and thought about what Niall just said. It was information overload, but I got the feeling that there was more to it. "What do you mean like a normal human? What aren't you telling me?"

"Dhampirs are not human Sookie. They are considered powerful supernatural beings. I must warn you though, because of their abilities, these beings generally have been used as vampire hunters or slayers." Claudine and I both gasped. "Sookie, I have to ask again. Is Eric truly the only person you have been with?"

I thought back to that night a couple months ago, recalling our sexual escapade. It had been raw, passionate, and tender. A touch on my shoulder brought me back to the present, and heat rushed to my cheeks. "Yes. He's the only one."

"I must look into this further. Because you are part fey, we need to know exactly what we are dealing with. Even though you are only an eighth fey, your blood is my blood. Our bloodline is very strong. To my knowledge, there has never been a vampire-fairy offspring. It simply isn't heard of. I have no idea what impact this could have on you or the child."

I shook my head. "Why do you think it would have an impact on me?"

"My dear child, you have only just realized your fey side. You have not embraced it, and so you have not tapped into your abilities yet. We cannot know how this will affect you." What did he mean my abilities?

Have you talked to Eric yet?"

I jumped to my feet and terror raced through my mind. "Sweet Jesus, of course not! I just found out this morning. Oh my God, he's going to kill me when he finds out! There's no way I can tell him!" My panic grew worse.

"Nonsense. As much as I do not like the fact that you are bonded with the Viking, he cares for you and would never hurt you. Your bond is very strong and it would only end up hurting him. You must tell him as soon as possible. He is an intelligent man and he will know what to do."

"But you just said that these beings, these dhampirs, are used as vampire hunters! How can you say he won't kill me?" I stood in the living room and my whole body went into full panic attack mode. I clutched at my shirt and stumbled back, falling on the couch.

I was shaking all over and my breathing was labored. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest right there on the spot. Niall and Claudine tried to hold onto me and calm me down, but it wasn't working.

Niall had never used his powers on me, but at this point, he didn't care. He placed his hands on either side of my face and turned it so I was looking directly into his eyes. He fixed his gaze on me and began softly mumbling words that I couldn't understand. After a few minutes, my breathing became much steadier and I began to relax, my eyelids growing heavy.

Claudine picked me up off the couch, carried me into the bedroom, and slid me between the sheets. As I fell into a deep sleep, I heard Niall speak.

"Claudine, please stay with Sookie. I need to go somewhere and will call you when I can."

With that, Niall disappeared out of the room.

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The night before (Eric's POV)

I was sitting in my office looking over some paperwork, but I was having a hard time concentrating. Something was wrong with my lover. Although our bond was already strong, it continued to grow. I had never seen or experienced a bond this strong before. From this distance, her emotions were still like faint echoes. Tonight, though, her emotions were very strong and I could feel she was in distress.

I had not seen her since the night I drove to her house, the night we renewed our bond. Victor had returned and summoned me to New Orleans to help oversee the final construction of the compound. I had returned to Shreveport just before sunrise that morning. Now, instead of going to her, comforting her, I was stuck here finishing this damn paperwork. I wanted to just clear my desk and leave, but I knew I had to finish the payroll. I tried to hurry, to get it done as fast as I could, so I could go to her.

As I worked, I could sense her feelings becoming more intense. I sat back in my chair and tried to send calming thoughts to her, but they recoiled back so fast it felt like a punch to my stomach.

Suddenly, I was gripped with extreme fear and panic. My whole body was going into shock. I tried to stand, but I stumbled backwards and landed on the floor, clutching my chest through my shirt. What the hell is this?

My eyes darkened and filled with terror. As my whole body started shaking, I could have sworn I was meeting my final death.

It felt like an eternity had passed, but in reality, it had only been a few minutes. My chest was throbbing, as if something had tried to claw its way from inside my body. I gripped the side of the desk to pull myself up and made my way over to the couch. What the hell just happened?

Still clutching my chest, I endured the aftershocks until they finally subsided, and I felt my body returning to normal. Something horrible had just happened, and I knew it had to do with my bonded. I couldn't just sit here. I had to go to her now. I had to make sure she was all right.

I was leaving the office when a figure suddenly appeared, blocking my way. It was Niall Brigant.

"Out of my way, fairy! I must leave now!" I bellowed.

"Viking, you will not leave, and you will not go to her."

I stepped forward, enraged that he would presume to speak to me in that manner. "Do not tell me what to do! You cannot keep me from my bonded. Something is horribly wrong."

Niall stood his ground. "Viking!" he shouted. "You will do no such thing." The walls shook with the impact of his booming voice before he lowered his tone and said, "I have just come from seeing her. She has been through enough today, and your presence would only do her more harm than good."

I stood motionless, using every ounce of control I had to calm down. "What do you mean more harm than good? How can my seeing her cause harm?"

Niall sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Sit down, Mr. Northman. Please."

I raised an eyebrow curiously. Niall Brigant, Prince of the fairies, just said please to a vampire. I knew he would not have come here if it were not in her best interest, so I was willing to give him a chance to explain.

"Sookie has had what humans call a panic attack. You and she share a strong bond, so I assumed that you were feeling her pain. It is why I came here to see you."

I was concerned. "What happened? Why is she in pain?"

"It is not for me to tell you. Just know that she is resting now. I cast a sleep spell on her, so she will not awaken until morning. Claudine is watching over her tonight."

"What do you mean you cast a sleep spell? You used magic on her?" I was infuriated.

"It was the only option I had under the circumstances. This is one time, Viking, when you will just have to be patient and wait for her to come to you."

Patience was something I had, but it was also something for which I set myself a limit. How could I be patient when my lover was in pain? "I will do what you ask… for now. I will let her be tonight. But if I do not hear from her by tomorrow evening, nothing will keep me from seeing her."

Niall nodded in acceptance. He rose from the chair, and as quickly as he had appeared in front of me, he disappeared.