A/N : I really didn't forget about you, dear readers. I simply misplaced my mental memo about updating on ff as well as my blog...mea culpa. At least it's a longer update than last time? I will be more regular in my posts from here on out and I thank you to all who have favourited/ alerted in my absence. That being said, I'm slightly saddened by the reader/follower : review ratio. I try not to importune you with pleas for reviews, but this story goes canon a lot for me and I'm sincerely curious about your thoughts. So please, leave a note with your reaction!

Just a reminder- my blog updates faster, so if you're just dying to know what happens next, head on over to writingforanemptymind on wordpress!

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned them.

"Forgive me, my dear. I am Niall Brigant, Prince of the Sky Fae. I am also your great-grandfather."

My first thought was that this was simply a nightmare. I'd wake up at some point and the world would make sense again. Jason's input crushed that hope. "Uh, Sookie? We got family I don't know about? Cuz I'm pretty sure there ain't no Brigants in our family tree."

"My dear boy, I truly am your great-grandfather, although you won't find the record of it. My son, Fintan, was your father's father. Your grandmother, Adele, married a man who could not give her children. She loved him, but also fell in love with my son and bore him two children, Corbett and Linda. Although they, and therefore you two, were Brigants by birth, they were raised as Stackhouses. It was safer for all of you to remain in the human realm, particularly as none but Sookie ever demonstrated the essential spark." He paused to take a longer look at my brother. "However, now that I have met you Jason, I can sense you have a very faint spark of your own."

Jason looked as stunned as the rest of us at this pronouncement. I was still stuck on what he'd said about Gran. Surely that wasn't possible? Wouldn't I have known? Gran had loved Grandpa; there was no doubt about that. But what would she have done for children? As much as I hated to admit, I could feel the truth of it, deep in me, so apparently she had, contrary to everything I thought I knew about my grandmother. Could I condemn her for something already done, for having enough love for two men, her children and grandchildren?

Niall, Great-grandfather, the Prince, whatever I was supposed to call him, slowly approached my brother and held his shoulders as he peered at him. He abruptly laughed, which brought me out of my reverie, shaking his head as he commented, "Never will I understand the rules of magic! Indeed, you have a bit of light within you that was never sensed before. Perhaps it was simply waiting for your sister's own gifts to begin to manifest, as they have? Hmm, I wonder…That's neither here nor there at the moment, of course. The main point is that I can help you develop it if you wish."

Poor Jason just nodded dumbly. I wouldn't have known what to say, either. Heck, I didn't know what to say.

Apparently it was my turn as the Prince made his way over to me. He repeated his earlier move with Eric by placing his hand on my head. "My dear child, it is so good to finally meet you. My son kept me informed of your progress through your youth, relaying what Adele passed on to him, but I have longed to see you in person. You are a very special gift to us, Sookie. Especially to my dear boy over there." He looked over at a suddenly scowling Eric.

"Umm, Great-grandfather, I really don't understand any of this. Ok, I mean, I get where the Fae comes in and that I've got fairy powers, but how is Eric tied in? Actually, skip that, what I really want to know is why Pam thinks Eric is going to meet the final death and why it's my fault," I sobbed out. Family reunions were all well and good, and I really didn't want to deal with Gran's apparent adultery on top of everything else, but I was increasingly distressed at the vague mentions of Eric's end that no one would tell me about.

"Hush, child, all will be well," Niall soothed. It was nice having a grandparent again, even one I had just met.

I managed to calm down and begged, "Please, won't someone tell me what's going on?"

"The answers to your questions are one in the same. The Viking's Fae ties are the direct cause of all this needless misery and…"

Eric's fiercely unhappy growl interrupted. He looked like he'd rather eat silver than have the story told.

Niall just said, "Hush, Eiríkr. The child has a right to know."

He obviously disagreed, "There is no solution I am willing to accept. You are needlessly burdening her with knowledge that can only bring her pain!"

A sharp look from Niall made him subside, still in palpable agony. Eric stood squarely in the middle of the audience chamber, his arms crossed almost protectively in front of him and attention devoted to the floor, effectively ignoring the rest of us.

"What you need to know, dear child, is that the Fae are one of the oldest extant races. We have been walking among the humans since humanity began, interacting with them, teaching them, learning from them and even loving them. Humans with Fae ancestry are not as uncommon as you might think and they have existed as long as we have been among humanity. As you've already been told, not all receive Fae traits, but they do benefit from the passing on of unusually attractive features and personalities. Particularly charismatic, strong-willed individuals are likely Fae descendents, as is evidenced by your Viking over there." A ripple of shock ran through most of us when Eric's ancestry was revealed.

"That is what initially attracted Godric; not only was his prowess on the battlefield impressive, but his otherworldly beauty and inner light was like a beacon, especially to one who dwelled in the dark."

I thought about that for a minute. It was true that Eric was always seemingly lit from within, much more so than other vamps. Hadn't I just this evening considered that he had a love for life that just wasn't typical of the vampires I knew? I had always been so wary of him, thanks again Bill, I had never actually taken the time to really ponder the subtle aspects of Eric's nature that made him stand out. Other than the obvious that I simply refused to acknowledge.

I listened carefully as he continued, eager for the rest of the story. "Partial-Fae are not as intoxicating to vampire as full-Fae, a fact that, along with his being near death already, likely saved Eiríkr's existence when Godric finished draining him. When he rose, it became evident that he was still set apart from others of his new kind. I do not know of another with more than a minute trace of Fae blood who was successfully turned, so it was a learning experience all the way around. And apparently continues to be." Eric looked up sharply at this, but caught my gaze and turned his attention back to the no-doubt fascinating floor.

"His strength of will overpowered even the intense newborn vampire instincts, adding years of development onto his already formidable abilities. There was only one area Godric and I had to work at with him. It was exceedingly difficult to keep our bright warrior of the sun from self-immolation as he strove to recover his lost daylight. As most Sky Fae, he revelled in and drew strength from the sun. He didn't want to accept that he had traded his beloved daylight for the hidden beauties of the night, but after many months of close calls, we finally got through to him."

Niall paused, likely considering where to take the tale next. I seized on the opportunity to picture a gloriously sun-kissed Eric standing proud in the sun and was saddened by the image of a newly pale version not understanding why he had to shun what brought him the most joy.

"As the elder of our clan, it is my duty to keep track even of our most distant relations, but I have to admit, Eiríkr in particular has always fascinated me, to the point where I consider him close family. While only related to a small cadet branch of our clan, his spark was strong, although without any obvious manifestation of gifts, other than his ability to command men on strength of personality alone and to have his endeavours elicit positive results. I was eager to observe how Fae traits would interact with the magic of vampire and it was fortunate that it was someone with Godric's open mind and ability to care who became his Maker as we were able to strike an agreement that allowed me to keep an eye on his progress in his new state of being. I was overjoyed when he began to embrace the possibilities vampire nature provided, although slightly distressed at how readily he rejected his emotions, given that they power a fairy's abilities. Once Eiríkr grew into his new powers, it seemed vampire simply overruled Fae after the change. It wasn't until recently that we discovered how much of his Fae nature remained."

Pam turned away at this, obviously disgusted at whatever was driving Eric's impending demise.

Niall gave me a gentle, sympathetic look that only served to set my nerves on edge. "You see, my dear, when a fairy meets the one he or she is meant for, a bond between them has the possibility to form. It is not an exact science, nor love at first sight, even. Free will is an extremely important component of any magical act, and as magical beings, freedom of choice is inherent in every fairy. Hence, the bond, although made possible by the pair's individual destiny, does not automatically come into being without the participants choosing to accept it. Each party must allow themselves to feel the full emotional potential of their bond, must open themselves to the possibility of permanently tying themselves to another, to even become aware of the bond. It is rare these days, with so much chaos in our realm and a large majority of partial-Fae living amongst humans, but it does happen. This is what has happened to your Viking."

I looked over only to see Eric look away, seemingly ashamed, of what I didn't know. Being dependent on someone? Having feelings in the first place? I didn't know but I didn't like seeing him that way. It wasn't right.

Niall was looking at me expectantly. "I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with me and why is Eric talking like he's going to meet his final death if he's just met his match?"

He didn't answer me. Instead, he looked inquisitively at Eric, who glared back before evidently giving in and folding in on himself. Looking me in the eye for the first time in what seemed like hours, he gave a sad little half-smile and said quietly, "It is you, Sookie. You're who my Fae side is trying to bond with."

I couldn't even begin to catalogue the emotions that rushed through me right then. Shock, terror, resentment, excitement, despondency, anger, disbelief, desire, annoyance, revulsion, happiness, resignation, sorrow all flooded my system one after the other. Eric seemed to shrink even further into himself as his smile grew even more dejected in acknowledgement of my feelings. I cursed in my head; I'd forgotten the damn blood and incidentally hurt him.

"As to your final question, the circumstances are even more rare than forming a bond to begin with, as destiny would surely not be so cruel as to allow a chance of happiness to turn into the very opposite, but apparently if not fulfilled, the half-bond strains itself trying to reach its mate, to the detriment of the fairy in question. Eventually…"

Eric erupted, more furious than I had ever seen. "Do not tell her! She's had enough of a shock for today and you will not add to her sense of responsibility. I will not be seen as yet another burden!"

Ignoring the outburst, Niall continued, "Eventually, it will drain all vitality, leading to death, or in Eiríkr's case, final death. His case is particularly troubling as his vampiric abilities are attempting to heal the rift left by the unattached fragments of the bond, further draining his life-force. Frankly, dear boy, I'm surprised to see you still standing. I've never heard of a partial bond lasting for more than a week, let alone months."

"Oh my God." I didn't have anything else to say. How could I even begin to grasp everything I'd just been told? At least now I knew why Pam blamed me for Eric's impending final death. It was, at least partially, my fault that his body was fighting itself. Never mind the fact that I had had no clue what was happening. And I wasn't even going to touch the idea that Eric had acknowledged his feelings for me months ago, apparently soon after we met. I wasn't even ready to accept Eric had feelings for me. How long had he known about this and kept it from me? He was slowly wasting away because he apparently loved me and had accepted that fact, on top of which he had just suffered the terrible loss of his Maker, and I'd gone on blithely flaunting my false relationship with Bill. How was I supposed to deal with this?

I didn't realize I was trembling hard enough to cause my joints to ache until I felt a tentative embrace surround me, stilling my shaking form. I instinctively knew it was Eric and fell even further into my despair to realize that he was never going to tell me, for my own peace of mind.

So much made sense now. He had been testing my relationship with Bill all along, seeing if there was any hope that I would ever consider him, but had then backed off when he concluded, erroneously it turned out, that I was truly in love with the liar. Once he knew that, he, in typical Eric fashion, simply and pragmatically accepted the outcome and only sought to spare me the pain of knowing his fate rested on my shoulders. Although he'd been eventually overruled, he'd fought valiantly to keep me in blissful ignorance of an entirely different type than Bill's.

The tears I'd held back earlier made their reappearance and I let them flow. I sagged into Eric's still strong embrace, vaguely registering his slight recoil, silently sobbing. His hand stroked my hair much like it had Pam's earlier, which only made me cry harder.

I cried for Pam and her distress at the mere thought of losing her Maker and best friend. I cried for Gran and her apparent forbidden and secret love. I cried for Eric's loss of sunlight. I cried for the loss of Godric and his gentle wisdom. I cried for Eric's stoic bearing of what must have been agony to see his potential bond mate refuse him at every turn. I cried for my sheer stubborn blindness and bullheadedness and false beliefs about the natures of the vampires in my life. I cried for Eric's willingness to shield me from any amount of pain he could. I cried for all the hurt I'd both knowingly and unknowingly caused him.

But I refused to cry for Bill's lies. He didn't deserve any place in my current misery.

Eric simply stroked my hair and held me close as I purged all the grief I'd stored up over the past few months. I had no idea how long I stayed protected in his arms, but as I slowly returned to myself, Sam was standing next to us, offering a fresh handkerchief and a sad smile. I gratefully took the cloth and mopped up my undoubtedly blotchy face. It served as a suitable distraction from the awkwardness of trying to extract myself from Eric's arms without meeting his eyes. I didn't know how to act around him. The only love I'd ever had turned out to be false and the idea of Eric's love was too new and too frightening to contemplate, even with the looming literal deadline. What was he going to expect from me, now that I was aware of the whole issue?

I glanced around at my little family, realizing that everyone I cared about, or was still talking to at least, was in that room, ready to stand by me. Sam was still nearby, lending silent support as ever. Jessica was listening intently to Pam, and both had suspicious looking red streaks on their cheeks. Niall and Jason were conversing quietly, which lifted my poor bruised heart a bit. Jason needed a good male influence and maybe some Fae abilities would finally teach him responsibility. And Eric, always Eric, was simply quiet, allowing me the chance to fully react to the emotional stress.

Turning to the other occupant, I realized with a jolt that we'd all gotten so wrapped up in Niall's recounting of Eric's history that we'd forgotten the Ancient Pythoness. She somehow noticed my regard and nodded in my direction. I wasn't sure how to take that, but I went ahead as if it was permission to answer the question burning in my brain.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it seemed like you had a solution or at least a stop-gap when we first arrived. Could you please fill the rest of us in?"

That seemed to get everyone's attention right quick. The AP seemed amused by the sudden cessation of conversation.

"It is clear that the Viking's unattached Fae bond is only causing him distress. It is also clear that the mate his bond is seeking is unavailable. What I suggest is a vampiric blood-bond; through the ties of blood, the Fae bond should be somewhat cauterized, and the girl will be free to go about her daily life, while still under the aegis of the Viking. The results are two-fold in that we do not lose a valuable Sheriff to a premature end and the telepath remains protected from the likes of the Queen of Louisiana and her ilk that would seek to co-opt her abilities."

I wasn't sure tying myself to Eric in any way when he clearly had feelings for me was such a good idea, but I certainly wasn't going to let him finally die if I could help it. And the being protected from other powerful vamps sure didn't sound too bad. I vaguely registered the niggling thought that there was something she wasn't saying, since that was pretty much the story of my life, but my attention was abruptly drawn elsewhere.

Eric growled, a sound that reverberated through my chest since he was standing so close to me. I found it odd that, only weeks before, I would have been terrified of that disapproval, but now just considered it almost endearing how protective he was of me. I knew the bulk of his reaction was truly an instinct to keep me out of this entirely unfortunate confluence of situations. I was more than a bit annoyed at his insistence on not letting me know what was going on, but it was sweet of him to try to keep me from harm. And that was certainly a word I'd never once thought to apply to the ruthless, egotistical Sheriff. I knew Bill had coloured a lot of my interactions with Eric, but I was fairly confident in my early assessment of Eric's dangerous and powerful nature. I could only assume that the Fae bond had finally awoken his long-buried emotions, and he simply was awash in sensations he hadn't felt in centuries.

Niall looked over from where he was still standing by Jason and gave us a considering glance before shooting a look fraught with significance over to the Ancient Pythoness. "Yes, I should think that would help, or at least buy some time."

I was going to ask why we needed time if this was a viable alternative, but I yelped instead as Eric suddenly staggered, falling into me. He would have knocked me to the ground, giant that he was, if Pam hadn't suddenly appeared at his side and yanked him back to his feet. She actually looked scared for a moment and I panicked at the sudden affirmation of exactly what Eric was going through. I hadn't quite believed Niall earlier about the strain the half-bond was putting on him, as Eric always seemed so solid. But this was irrefutable proof that I couldn't ignore.