AN: Happy Reading! Enjoy! :)
Chapter 7
SPOV
Eric and Godric step forward, each taking one of my hands into theirs before they lead me from my grandfather's office. I can smell a heavenly scent wafting through the halls, and I smile at the familiar aroma. This place feels more like home with each minute spent here. I hear voices emanating through the halls then, growing steadily louder around us and I pause, halting our movements as I suddenly grow tense.
Logically, I know all the people awaiting our arrival are friends and loved ones, but as I can't remember any of them, they are only strangers to me. Ugh, I hate being like this, I just want to feel normal again, to feel comfortable with my old acquaintances in my own home.
"What's wrong, dear one?" Godric asks softly as I shaking my head, trying to shake of my anxiety.
"I'm just a bit nervous, I guess," I admit as they both flash me warm smiles.
"We'll both be right here with you," Eric tells me with a small smile, squeezing my hand reassuringly.
"Everyone will be ecstatic to have you back, you're surrounded by people who care deeply for you, dear one," Godric assures me with a grin as I nod, taking in a deep breath before allowing them to lead me towards the dining hall once more. We pause before a set of wide, double doors and my husbands flash me matching grins.
"Ready, Lover?" Eric asks as I nod somewhat hesitantly.
They swing the doors open and the voices of the occupants are instantly silenced as everyone in the large room halts their movements, turning to look to the three of us in various states of wonderment. All eyes are glued upon me and I find myself fidgeting nervously as a warm blush spreads over my cheeks. Well, this is awkward. My gaze falls to the floor just before the sound of quickly approaching, pounding steps resound through the room. What the hell?
I gasp in surprise as I'm suddenly pulled away from my husbands and lifted high into the air, being pulled into a tight, combined embrace of two elated men. I soon find myself giggling as the two burly men proceed to swing me around the room in obvious delight.
"Sookie!" exclaims the bald headed man with lilac eyes as a huge grin spreads over his face. "I'm so glad you're back! This place hasn't been the same without you, babe." He is definitely familiar, I could never forget eyes like that, and I find myself grinning at him, realizing we were obviously close.
"Yeah, Sookie," chimes in the dark haired, Middle Eastern man with dark, chocolate eyes as he smirks at me. "Quinn and I've missed teasing our snarky little blonde," he informs me with a wink. I grin up at his equally familiar face, feeling a comforting sense of friendship with the pair.
"Alright, you two, that's enough," chides Godric, taking ahold of my waist and pulling from their tight embrace, shaking his head at the overexcited pair. The two stick out their bottom lips in matching, exaggerated pouts and I find myself giggling at their mirth.
"Just consider yourselves lucky she wasn't armed this time," chimes in Eric, raising a challenging brow at the two as I look to him in shock. Is he kidding?
"Oh, please, she got lucky that time," Quinn insists, rolling his eyes before flashing me a teasing wink. My brows jump to my hairline realizing I actually won an altercation with the two huge, intimidating looking men standing before me. Damn, I must have been a real badass.
"Says you," chimes in the woman I know to be Amelia with a smirk. "Sook wasn't the one who had to have her nose realigned." I did that? Quinn looks to me with a grin, shrugging his massive shoulders dismissively as I find myself grateful he isn't holding a grudge against me. The group breaks into laughter then, and I have to cover my mouth to hide my own snicker.
"And I distinctly remember you ending up in an arm sling, Rasul," Amelia's blonde companion addresses to the dark haired man with a smirk. I glance over to the man named Rasul to see him look to me with a playful wink.
"It sounds to me like a rematch is in order then," Rasul challenges, looking to me with a wide grin as his chocolate eyes shine in delight. I catch on to the game quickly, smirking up to the pair of huge, barreled chested men with a confident smirk.
"Bring it, big boys; anytime, anyplace," I challenge as the room breaks out into a mix of howling laughter and shouts of encouragement. The dining room doors open then and the crowd quiets, turning to see my heavily armed, twin cousins enter, followed closely by my grandfather.
"Let us take our seats before this delicious spread turns cold," sounds my grandfather's booming voice. I catch his eye, grinning at him and he flashes me a wink before the lot of us make our way to the large table together. My husbands sit to either side of me and as everyone begins dishing their plates, I decide I need names and backgrounds to go with the recognizable faces surrounding me. I glance to the twins sitting to either side of our grandfather as they flash me mirroring smiles.
"So, the twins are my cousins," I state softly as my husbands nod.
"Claude and Claudine are indeed your blood kin," Godric informs me. "They stand as your grandfather's personal guards, much the way Eric and I stand in as yours, dear one."
"Your cousins and grandfather are all that's left of your blood relatives," Eric informs me as I raise a brow at him. "That's why you and Niall are so close, besides the twins; you're all each other have left."
I sit for a moment, letting this news sink in. I knew just how important my grandfather must be to me as he was the one person I was able to recall in my blank state, but I guess I hadn't realized just how special our relationship to one another really was. It's upsetting finding out I have so little kin left, but I suppose things could be worse, at least the four of us seem to be close to one another. I glance over to the women sitting beside Claude then.
"Okay, so the brunette woman is Amelia, right?" I ask as they nod. "And the blonde sitting beside her?" I ask, watching as the blonde in question tucks a tuft of chestnut hair behind Amelia's ear with a small smile.
"That would be her girlfriend, Pam," Godric informs me. "The three of you are very close, especially you and Amelia," he explains as I nod my understanding, taking a moment to return the excited wave from the bubbly brunette with a small smile. She seems sweet and I can definitely see us being good friends.
"They partner together in the field. You used to tag along with them quite often before the three of us got together," Eric informs me as I nod my understanding.
"And the two men from earlier, Quinn and Rasul, I take it we're a bit completive with one another?" I ask with a smirk as Eric and Godric chuckle lowly.
"It's all in fun, Lover," Eric informs me with a wink. "The three of you tend to be a bit competitive with one another in the field as well, and for future reference, the two of them share a rather epic bromance that you enjoy teasing them about relentlessly," he says with a smirk as I grin, nodding my understanding.
I glance over to the men in question to see Quinn leaning over to pour gravy over Rasul's mashed potatoes and have to cover my mouth as I snicker lightly. Bromance, indeed. Eric gives me a knowing wink, chuckling lowly. I then glance over at a dark haired man sitting off to the side with an exasperated scowl on his face.
"And who's the grouch?" I ask, nodding my head towards the annoyed looking man across the table. Eric and Godric share a look before Godric gives me a weak smile, placing his hand on my thigh and squeezing it lightly.
"That would be Bill," he says with aggravation clear in his voice. "He acts as a gopher for the family. The two of you…well, you have a bit of a history," he informs me as I raise an incredulous brow. Really?
"You and Bill used to date," Eric chimes in as his jaw ticks in irritation. "You were actually engaged at one point." I glance back to the brunette wondering what the hell I could have seen in him. He's nothing to look at and his personality is certainly lacking. I was actually going to marry that?
"I take it we didn't separate on the best of terms?" I question as Bill glances at the three of us with a deep scowl. God, he's kind of an ass, he could at least pretend to be happy to see me given the circumstances of the situation.
"You caught him cheating on you," Godric informs me as I look to him in shock. "I know, he's an idiot," he says with a sigh, shaking his head. "You were surely the best thing to ever happen to him, dear one."
"But then you found us, Lover," Eric chimes in, leaning over to press a kiss to my temple. "So, it's his loss. You're much better off without him." I grin at him then, nodding my agreement. My grandfather stands at the head of the table then and all discussion is hushed as he looks over the lot of us with a warm smile.
"As you all know, tonight we're gathered together to celebrate a rather momentous occasion. After a year spent away from home, our Susannah has finally been returned to us," he says, looking to me with a warm smile as the table breaks out into excited applause. "You've all been informed of my granddaughter's rather unique situation, and I encourage you all to make her feel at home as she works to recover her memories."
I let out a sigh of relief, finding myself thankful I won't have to explain my strange behavior as everyone already understands my situation. I glance around the table to receive several sympathetic smiles and I instantly feel better, knowing they will all be helping me recover my memories of my past life. It seems my husbands were right; these people truly are my family, in every sense of the word that matters.
"We also uncovered some rather disturbing news this evening," my grandfather continues grimly. "It would seem Sophie Anne Leclerq has taken it upon herself to target our Susannah personally and she is very likely the one responsible for the accident that took my granddaughter from us."
Angry cries rise through the room upon this discovery and I look on in wonderment as my family begins heatedly arguing over how they will each see the Queen pay for her actions. Eric and Godric each take hold of my hands, squeezing them firmly and I look between them to see determination etched upon their faces.
I know then that the Queen truly has managed to incite a war, and by the mirroring looks of determination and ire I see around the table, I deduce this is a war she's apt to lose. My grandfather raises his hands then, ceasing the boisterous voices through the room as all attention turns to him once more.
"I'm glad to see your enthusiasm in seeing the Queen finally dethroned," he says as heads nod in agreement. "She has made this ongoing war personal and for this she will pay dearly; as such, I ask each and every one of you to use whatever means possible to see it done quickly."
"Damn straight," Pam calls out, nodding to me as the rest of the assembled chime in their agreement.
"Good," my grandfather says with a firm nod. "Now, with that unpleasantness out of the way, we can continue with our celebration," he says, flashing me a smile and raising his glass. The rest of the table follows suit, as we all raise our glasses. "Susannah, dear, here's to your return," he says with a wide grin.
"Here, here!" the room cheers out merrily, shooting me grins and tipping their glasses in my direction. I nod to them all as hot tears of joy sting my eyes, realizing just how lucky I am to be surrounded by the unwavering support of my family. My husbands each lean down to place a tender kiss to either of my temples and a smile curls my lips as I realize I'm exactly where I belong. I'm finally home.
