Authors Notes:

Hey all, I know I have been off the grid for several months now, I am so sorry. My life has been… well let's just say not the most conducive environment for writing. I am sure I have probably lost a huge majority of the people who read this story but it is what it is. I will try and push forward as best as I can and try not to leave ya'll hanging like that again.

Now, this chapter is only the first part of the chapter, I figured that part of my chapter was better than leaving ya'll waiting any longer. So, it isn't as long as it is supposed to be. On a personal note I need an experienced beta, someone I can trust with my work, someone that I can bounce ideas off of when I get stuck, and someone who can help me catch those little grammatical errors that fall in there. So… if you are interested please shoot me a PM and we can chat to see if we mesh well. Thanks again ya'll for your patience and I love you all who stuck it out and still have a little faith that this story will come alive again.

Much Love,

Lilli

Eric and Sookie – Stuck in the middle with you. Part 1

I woke slowly and reached over to cuddle Eric tighter to me and realized he was no longer in the bed. It had to be later then I thought, I rolled over and realized Pam was gone as well. "Well hell." I muttered to myself. I knew I wasn't dreaming the last twenty four hours because this was the bed that I had fallen asleep with them in the night before. It must be later then I thought, I heard loud whispers coming from the living room area and figured that they must be out there so as not to wake me.

I climbed out of the bed pulling the overly large sheet off of the bed with me as I went. Parading around naked as a jay bird in front of Pam and Eric was one thing, but if Pam was up that meant Felicia and Thalia were up as well and there was no way I was prancing in front of them. I wound the sheet around me tightly in a make shift sari type dress and headed out towards the living room. I might as well see what those two were up too. From the feel of things neither one of them were very happy.

I made my way across the bedroom and into the living room area but the moment my tiny feet hit the doorway the room fell silent. Thalia and Felicia were lounging on the couch; clearly they were both amused by the verbal ping pong that I had just walked in on. Eric and Pam were looking like if they had a stake in their hand one of them would be meeting their final death, my money was on Pam, Eric may be old and powerful but Pam was crafty and knew all of Eric's tricks. "What's all this then?" I asked. They both looked down at the ground sheepishly; I had clearly caught them both with their hands in the preverbal cookie jar.

Eric, of course was the first to recover. "Good evening lover, did you sleep well?" he rushed to my side and gently kissed my cheek.

I rolled my eyes; clearly he wasn't up for giving me the answers that I wanted. Same old Eric, always thinking he had to protect me from everything. "Mr. High handed." I mumbled. Pam, Thalia, and Felicia all snorted clearly trying to repress there laughter. "Pamela?"

"He wants to defy the Pythoness." She said curtly.

"And? There has to be more to it than that. Defy her how?" Eric hissed at Pam, he clearly didn't want me to take part in this discussion. I turned to him. "Eric, listen, I love you, but you have been gone a long time and I WILL NOT let you come in here and run my life AGAIN. Yes, sometimes your insights are invaluable but I want to at least take part in discussions. Especially if they concern me directly, now, you can either explain what all this is about or I will have Pam tell me. It really is your choice."

He crossed his big muscular arms over his, nummy broad muscular chest; I shook my head a little down girl focus on the task at hand, and set his face in a stern look. "I can order her not to." He said smugly.

"You can, but if you do I will just ask Thalia and Felicia and they will tell me. You don't run anything around here anymore Eric. You are not the sheriff, hell you don't even have a place in the hierarchy at all right now. Please don't do this, please just for once let's not do this stupid bicker, bicker, bicker and just talk to each other like civilized people. This is one of our largest issues Eric; we cannot just sit down and have a rational discussion with each other. You are a pig headed, stubborn, control freak, and yes I can be just as bad as you. I will also concede the point that you haven't made it as long as you have without knowing a thing or two. With that being said, would it really kill you to at least discuss it with me? You might be surprised that I might just agree with the things you say. You will never know though unless you give me a chance." I took a step forward closing the gap between us and placing a hand on his bicep, I lowered my voice into something softer and less stern. "So what is it going to be husband, are you going to tell your wife what is going on or are you going to force my hand and make me circumvent you?"

He smiled down at me and just that smile made me want to melt into a little puddle and do whatever he asked of me. But damn it, I wasn't going to do this with him. We were going to do things the right way this time so we didn't end up like before. He stroked my cheek lovingly and I leaned into it just a little bit, I may be tough and determined, but I am only human, what girl wouldn't want this big ol' Viking to touch her even if it is just a little stroke on the cheek. "When did you become such a diplomat my lover?" he said softly. "I don't think I have ever heard you speak about your emotions and thoughts on a situation so rationally and eloquently."

"I am no diplomat Eric; I am only speaking the truth so we don't end up in the exact same position we were when I left five years ago."

"That's not what I hear lover, I hear you are quite the little diplomat. Helping the supes to sign an order of peace not only with each other but also with The Fellowship of the Sun, you really have blossomed lover, it astounds me."

He was really laying it on thick, trying to distract me. He leaned down and kissed my cheek lightly. I took a step away from him, crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at him. "Eric Northman, you will tell me right this minute what is going on. Stop trying to schmooze me so that I will be distracted, I am not that little girl that walked into your bar all those years ago."

"All right, all right." He laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "Pam and I disagree on how to proceed from here. I think I should turn you tonight and if we have to we will leave the country. I do not want you to get dragged into whatever agenda she has. Now that we have each other again I am not going to let you go. Pam thinks we should wait listen to what the Pythoness has to say and then do our duty by doing whatever she asks." He was pacing restlessly back and forth now, clearly extremely distraught by the thought of something possibly separating us from each other again.

"Yes well, they have been protecting Sookie for the last five years. Supposedly it was all on the basis of this prophecy that she is going to save the world or something. They would never give me details because rule number one was we aren't to tell Sookie. I think the official line was 'All will be reviled when the time is right.' A whole lot of mumbo jumbo bologna if you ask me, but the point is Sookie has a destiny that she is supposed to fulfill, who are we to stand in the way of that."

"I AM HER BONDED!" Eric roared.

"AND SO AM I." Pam replied.

"Umm, excuse me but what prophesy?" I interrupted.

"Well," Pam continued to talk but I was distracted, all of the sudden there was a soft hum of sound coming from within the room. I looked around trying to figure out what the heck it was; it was so loud and so annoying, and the four people that should be noticing it where obviously oblivious. "Sookie! Did you hear a single thing I just said?"

"No, sorry Pam, can you repeat yourself." I shook my head slightly trying to get the humming out of my head. I was starting to feel the pressure of a headache build behind my eyes.

"I said," she said curtly. "that apparently there is some big prophesy pertaining to you and Eric. All I have managed to find out though is that you and Eric are destined to save the world and bring about peace to all mankind, supes included."

"Seriously Pam?"

"Yes, Sook."

"Pam, I just want to find some little town somewhere and settle down with Eric, become a Vampire and live our lives. I don't want to be the savior of everyone." The humming got louder and the pressure behind my eyes increased. "Can any of ya'll hear that?"

"Hear what?" All four of them asked at once.

"That humming sound."

They were all very still for a moment and Eric looked at me with clear concern on his face. "There is no humming sound Sookie."

"Never mind." I shook my head again. "I am actually surprised at you Pam for even suggesting that I put myself in harm's way again." Eric made a wild gesture with his arm as if to say. 'Exactly.'

"Sookie," she said softly. "sometimes we all have to do things that we don't want to do. You have made many sacrifices over the years. I have never known you to shrink from danger. I am not asking you to lay your life down for us but I am asking you to at least listen to what the Pythoness has to say. You should do your duty, what if you are the only one that can bring peace? I know you want to settle down in a small little town with Eric and just live your lives. But why bother if we live in a world that is in constant strife. Eventually the wars will catch up with you, just like they will catch the rest of us. We may be immortal Sook, but we cannot hide from the inevitable. Eventually it would all catch up with you."

"Let's just go Sookie, we can go and hide. I will not let anything happen to you now." Eric pulled me tightly to his chest. I could feel the conflict warring within him. On the one hand, he wanted to keep me safe and protected from whatever the Pythoness was expecting from me. On the other hand Eric was never one to run from a good fight.

I was trying to figure out what the hell we should do and that damn humming was getting louder and pressing in on my brain like hot nails through butter. "Maybe… we … should listen to what she has to say. That way we can make an informed decision. If we don't like what we hear we can bail. Do you have an exit strategy Eric?" I rubbed my temples the pressure behind my eyes was causing my vision to blur.

"Of course I do, we can…" I put up one hand to stop him. He arched his eyebrow questioningly at me.

"Seriously ya'll can't hear that humming?"

"No lover, are you all right?"

I shook my head slightly and paced the room, trying to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. I walked towards the main door of the suite and it was quieter, closer to the middle of the room and it was blaringly loud, over towards the balcony quite again. I turned and face the large couch. "AMELIA BROADWAY, DIDN'T YOUR MOTHER EVER TELL YOU IT IS RUDE TO EVES DROP?"

"Damn." Came a disembodied voice from the other couch in the room. The air seemed to waver a bit and then poof there sat Amelia and the Ancient Pythoness. Amelia looked ashamed that she had been caught; the Ancient Pythoness on the other hand just looked smug.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself Amelia, for goodness sake I thought that we were friends and yet I am finding that there is a ton of things that I don't know about you. Like the little fact that you are bonded to a vampire! Not just any vampire mind you, the friggin queen of all vampires! You have all this extra magic from being bonded to her that you never bothered to tell me about. You apparently know all about this supposed destiny that I have. You have been lying to me at every turn for the last five years. Then you go and eavesdrop on what you know to be a private conversation." I shook my head slightly and crossed my arms over my chest. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry?" It came out as more of a question then an actual apology but she did look genuinely abashed by her actions.

I rolled my eyes; I just couldn't deal with this now. Her and I needed to have a serious conversation about our friendship and now was not the time. Not to mention the fact that I wanted to do it when her 'bonded' wasn't around. "Whatever, this isn't done Amelia. We will talk later." She just nodded to me; I knew that she knew she was in hot water with me and that I was being kind to not embarrass her by cussing her out in front of God and everybody.

I glanced over at the Ancient Pythoness and said. "Okay, I believe you wanted to talk to me, so talk." I sauntered across the room to the couch facing the one that she was perched on and waited.

"Are you always so rude?" she asked, she didn't seem put out or annoyed just amused at my daring to command her to do anything.

"Not really." I shrugged. "I just don't like being ordered around. Just ask Eric how far he got when he tried to tell me what to do."

She shook her head slightly in both amusement and disapproval; somehow I figured she would never have put up with the same attitude from Amelia. Then again, that was Amelia's issue not mine. I wasn't bonded to her, and I knew I was lucky to have someone like Eric as my bonded mate. "You cannot become a vampire Sookie, I forbid it."

A small burst of laughter escaped my lips. "YOU forbid it? Like I really give a holy heck about your opinion. If Eric and I want to cross that bridge it is between the two of us. There is nothing that you can say or do that is going to stop us from doing what we want to do."

"It isn't in the cards for you my dear. You have a great destiny laid out before you and becoming a vampire is not part of it. You will save us all; you will bring us all into Eden, not just the Supes but all of the creatures on this plane."

"You have got to be kidding me. What in the world makes you think that is my destiny?"

"I have foreseen it my child. I have been waiting for you arrival and then you bonding to the Viking for over two thousand years."

"Well, I think you have the wrong girl because my plans certainly don't include saving the world. All I want is to live a quite life with my husband and be happy just the two of us together for the rest of eternity." Eric squeezed my hand slightly and I looked up at him and smiled. I sent as much love as I could muster through our bond and received the same back from him.

"So what does this prophesy say then?" Pam asked. "I know that all the other kings and queens have been clued in but you never decided to let me know. I assume because of my close relationship to both my master and Sookie. I have been trying for years to find out what it was. There were of course whispers but no one would say anything to me about it."

"Because I willed it to be that way child."

"Enough of you games woman, tell us what you think my wife is going to be doing." Eric said, I could feel his anger rising and I knew that he was trying with all his might to hold back. He had a great deal of respect for Pythia and didn't want to say or do anything he might regret later.

"Listen well all of you for this is what shall be.

A fairy princess will be born,

To the most ancient of lines.

She will come into the world,

With telepathy at her side.

She will meet a Vikings son,

And they will be bonded throughout time.

The vampire and fairy that love one another,

They will be blessed with a most magical son.

He will grow and unite the world,

One for all and all for one.

But on the day of his third year tragedy will fall.

There will be a mighty battle,

Where we could loose all.

Another from the fairy's line,

Will look to seek revenge.

He will tear open what has been closed,

And try to bring an end.

An end to life,

An end to all,

An end to the world in which we dwell.

A mighty battle will ensue,

At the central gate.

The fairy and her bonded,

Stand calmly and wait.

They fight brave and true side by side,

To keep the world safe.

But the outcast fairy prince

Still opens the gates that will lead us all to hell,

There is but one way to seal the open rift.

Her precious blood must be spilled,

Down to the very last drop.

She knows the only way to make them safe,

Is to give to the magic all that she is and all that she has.

As the last drop falls onto the battle field,

And she shudders her last breath

The enemy will be slain and the gate will close,

Never to open again."

I sat in stunned silence for a long time, trying to process all that Pythia just said. "Umm, let me get this straight. You want me to be a martyr for your cause."

"Not just for my cause child, for the entire world. You will bring life that will heal us all by giving us all a magical son and then you will give your life to allow him to carry out his own destiny."

"So if I go and become a vampire you do not think I can fulfill my destiny?"

"How can you bare life if you are one of us? How can you give every drop of blood that you have and your last breath in order to seal the gate that connects our world to the world of farie if you have no breath or true fairy blood? No, you must live your life with your Viking your one and only bonded mate and bare a strong son. Then when the time comes you will make the great sacrifice and save us all."

I processed what she had just said for a long time. Could I really be the girl from her prophesy? As her words rang through my head I laughed suddenly out loud. The entire room looked at me as if I had just fallen off my rocker and into crazy ville U.S.A. "I cannot be the girl you are talking about Pythia. I mean yes, it all does seem to fit. Except that last little bit you just said, I am not just bonded to my Viking. Pam and I are bonded too, so this whole discussion is moot, I am going to allow Eric to change me so that we can walk side by side until the Gods see fit to separate us again."

"IMPOSIBLE!" she shouted standing suddenly and pacing the room.

"You may think it is but it's not, I am in fact bonded to Pam."

"You may very well be bonded to her but I know that you are the fairy princess in the tale. You are already with child. I have seen it and so has Amelia."

The room grew eerily still with her little reveal. "Wait… I… no… your wrong… Eric has only been back for a day… there is no way you could… I…" My hands fell to my flat belly and for just an instant I pictured myself growing round and heavy with Eric's child. I shook my head violently as my hot tears scolded my cheeks. "Impossible" I whispered, trying with all my might not to be excited not to think about it.

Two cold wrinkled hands appeared into my line of site and gripped my knees. "Do you really want to take the risk child? Even if you don't believe me do you really want to risk losing the son that grows in your womb? The boy who after your sacrifice will become a great leader and unite us all, you my dear may start the way to Eden, but he" she placed on hand on my belly pressing firmly yet gently against me "will lead us the rest of the way. Your son will be magnificent; do you want to see him?"

I nodded yes not daring to allow the words to escape my lips. She took my hands in hers and whispered. "Close your eyes Sookie, good girl, now open your mind to me and I will share with you my vision." I held my breath waiting for something anything and before I could complain that it wasn't working images almost too fast to catch started flashing before my eyes. A blonde haired boy running merrily through an endless field of tall green grass, tiny white flowers seeming to float on the surface of the endless green, the smell of the salty sea wafting into my nose, while the hot sun shone down on us from above. He stops but a moment and turns back to me and waves his arms happily gesturing for me to come and join in his little run and I laugh truly happy.

More images flicker and then slow to the boy, Eric, and I lounging lazily in front of a warm fire toasting marshmallows. Eric crinkling up his nose in disgust at the site of his boy stuffing the gooey sugary confection into his round little cheeks. I look on with nothing but pure joy at the site of my boys being so content in the moment.

The picture moves again except this time it isn't happiness that I see, Eric and I are arguing silently outside our child's bedroom about returning to America, something about Jason being in trouble. Again the picture whirs forward and I am standing in the middle of central park surrounded by all of my various supe friends. I look off to my right and see my Ware friends, Alcide, Quinn, Sam, even Calvin Norris, off to my left stand my Vamps Eric, Pam, Felicia, Thalia, and of course Bill and many, many others on both sides that I didn't recognize. Parts of the various communities I assumed. The air is vibrating with the anticipation of the battle at hand and out of the woods steps an army of shadows. The harder I try to identify the people or supes that are there the more there bodies deform into blobs of darkness.

"Why can't I see them?" I whisper silently to Pythia trying to remain as quite as possible so as not to disturb the vision flashing before me.

"I assume because I have never been able to see them child."

The battle ensues, in quick flashes everyone is fighting and there is blood everywhere. So much blood the ground is squelching beneath my feet in an endless sea of black. The portal behind my position begins to shimmer to life and I know that soon all will be lost; we will all be destroyed if that portal is allowed to open the rest of the way. It will surly unleash things far worse than Brendan onto this plane. I lunge towards the person responsible to stop his magic from opening the gate and he slits my throat. Shock and heartbreak shoot through me and I am extremely surprised that he would do such a thing consumes me as I fall to the ground. A roar of anguish comes from somewhere far off and I just know it is my Viking screaming in outrage and the world goes dark.

Flashes of a slow precession through the streets of every major city across the world flit through my head. I see myself stowed away in a glass coffin paraded through the streets to show the world what I have sacrificed so that all will be safe. A solemn Eric and Pam stride on each side of the coffin ushering me safely from place to place, spreading the tales of my many adventures over the years and all that I had endured and achieved to try and bring peace to the world. A world that I loved so much that I willingly gave my life for them all.

Another whir into the future and there stands my son, tall as his father and just as beautiful. He stands proudly behind a huge podium in an auditorium stuffed to the rafters with people. People from all walks of life from every nation and every nationality, the room is also filled with Supernatural's of all kinds Ware's and shifter's, Demon's and Angel's, Fairy's and Vampires. Everywhere I looked all forms of life that walked the Earth was looking on at my son waiting with bated breath to hear what he had to say.

"My mother had a saying," His deep voice reverberating through the hushed auditorium "'Life is what you make of it.' And that is what brings us all here today. We have spent too many years fighting each other over our differences, so many years that we have put this planet that we all live on in jeopardy of total annihilation. My mother believed that we could all live together in peace if we just all put in a little effort; she started this path for all of us. She single handedly brought down one of the worst organizations humankind has ever seen and her sacrifice prevented the return of beings who wished to enslave this world and all that dwell within it. Let her sacrifice not be in vain, let us all join together and usher in a new age of peace amongst all. Let us make our lives and that of future generations a thing of great joy. Let us join together and fight the injustices of the world, hunger, poverty, and disease. If we all work hand in hand we can all co-exist and eradicate those things that bring us all down low. Let us usher in a new age, let us create Eden."

A thunderous roar ripped through the crowd and people couldn't get to the large parchment fast enough to sign the new peace treaty. A treaty that would in fact unite everyone large and small and bring about an end to all the worlds strife and cause everyone to co-exist happily, a treaty that would cause all of God's creatures to come together and truly be at peace.

Slowly the grips of Pythia's vision released me and I looked into her milky white eyes, she seemed to be studying me closely for my reaction. "What am I going to do?" I ask her softly.

She smiled gently. "Nothing child, live your life, raise your son, speak with your Viking about what you have seen. When the time comes you will know what to do. For now though I believe that you and Eric have a prisoner to see to, am I correct Viking?"

I looked over at Eric and he looked concerned for me, I could see and feel that he wanted to know all that I had seen while locked in Pythia's vision, but at this moment I just couldn't bring myself to speak on it. I needed time to think and reflect on everything that I had seen. "Yes, Ancient Pythoness but I had no intention of bringing my wife to such a thing."

"You will take the girl." Pythia said firmly. Standing abruptly and walking back to Amelia.

"I will not take her to witness such a thing."

Pythia waves her hand dismissively, "She will not have to witness it, Robert is being kept at the warehouse on the water. I believe you are familiar with its layout."

"Yes."

"Take the girl."

"But…"

"No buts' Viking from now on the two of you are going to walk side by side in all things. Even those things you would normally shield her from. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Pythoness." He bowed deeply at the waist.

"Good, go tend to Robert, we will see each other again after the birth of your son." And with that she was gone.

The room fell silent once again and the silence seemed to stretch on into eternity, not even the noisy hustle and bustle of the New York streets reached us. Of course it was Eric, and his insufferable curiosity that broke the silence first. "What did you see Sookie? Are you really with child?"

"I don't want to talk about it now; we have a lot of things to think about and a lot of planning to do but now is most definitely not the time."

"Sookie…" before he could even begin his tirade that I could feel coming I cut him off.

"NO! I am going to change and we will go and deal with Robert." I jumped off of the couch strode across the room and slammed the door to our bedroom, effectively letting them all know that the matter was closed.