Hope Is the Thing With Feathers
A Let Love in side story
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires. Sole copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I'm poor so don't sue.
Rating: M for later chapters.
Timeframe: Post-From Dead to Worse, Ten years after LLI
Pairing: Eric/Sookie
Summary: Eric gives Sookie a gift.
Chapter Ten
They almost miss their appointment at the clinic on the 16th because one of Lake Superior's famous November Gales snows them in for an extra two days, but they are finally able to leave Isle Elena on the day of the appointment. He thought he would have to travel in the cargo hold of the private jet when it took off mid-afternoon, but a box is delivered to their cabin an hour before dawn. It contains four more enchanted mint leaves courtesy of Eros, which are no surprise, and also a new Trojan Horse ring. Sookie gasps when she sees it, and the accompanying note: "Babies are not always born after dark."
"Oh, Eric…" she breathes, watching as he slips the new ring on his right hand.
He has no words either because he is choked up himself. It is true that he secretly hoped for this, but after everything he and his wife have been given by the Gods, he had no courage to ask for something else. Elena, it would seem, already knew what he would need, and gave it to him without his asking.
After he puts on the ring, he hugs his wife and kisses her hair, and they make one final offering of energy to their hostess, making sure to show their gratitude for the gifts they have been given. When dawn comes, he slips a magic leaf under his tongue to keep him conscious, and they enjoy their final few hours on the island until they must bid farewell to Cabin 16 for another year.
The staff comes to see them off as usual, but the Goddess is not in the crowd, most likely because She has put so much energy into the ring that She must now rest.
"You will have to bring the babies next year," Noria entreats. "We must see your little Vikings."
Sookie blushes and smiles. "We will. We promise."
During their joyful time at the sanctuary, the resort staff went so far as to surprise Sookie with an impromptu baby shower. But of course what demons think is an appropriate gift for an expectant mother is different from what humans think. There was not a cradle or rattle in the pile of presents, but there were numerous protective charms, potions for calming screaming infants, potions for an expectant mother to make birth easier, spells to confer certain Gifts and attributes to the children, four offers of Abyssian Hounds to protect the infants (No, thanks. They're rabidly carnivorous and salivate poison), and two blankets made from Magma Rat hides (practically impervious to fire).
His wife was gracious as always, and most of the gifts will prove very useful. As such, they are leaving with much more luggage than when they arrived, but there is nothing to be done for it, and Perin does not seem to mind the extra work. He has even included his own gift: two perfect primary wing feathers from his own wings. When worn, the feathers will mark the bearer as a Friend of the Raptors, and birds of prey of all shape, size and lineage will offer protection and aid.
Add that to the automatic protection offered to his children through Sookie's Friend of the Pack status with the Shreveport Weres, and he is confident that his family will be one of the best guarded in the history of the Supernatural community. They're going to need that protection because he has no doubt that rival states and human religious zealots are going to be teeming from the walls just as soon as the news that he is the father goes public.
Their plane lands a scant hour after sunset, and they rush directly to the fertility clinic where Dr. Marconi is waiting for them. Luckily, Pam has followed his instructions and left his car at the airfield so it is there when they arrive. The ultrasound is only to allow the doctor to check the gestational sacs around the babies to make sure everything is progressing as normal. Amniocentesis will be performed at 14 weeks to determine the sex of the fetuses, so they have decided to hold off decorating the nursery for a few more weeks.
The doctor lubes up his wife's belly and begins the procedure while he holds Sookie's hand and smiles at her. The grainy images on the screen still make very little sense to him, but the doctor seems to like what she sees.
"The gestational sacs on both fetuses look good. Both appear to have implanted well into the uterine wall, and they seem to be anchored far enough apart so as not to be a danger to each other," the doctor says with reassurance.
"That's good. That's great news," Sookie answers.
"Fetal heartrate is 90 and 96. Would you like to hear the babies' heartbeats?" the doctor asks.
"Is that possible?" Sookie replies.
Dr. Marconi nods and turns up the speaker on the ultrasound. Soon the same whoosh-whoosh-whoosh noise he's begun to associate with his children's hearts can be heard thrumming out of the box.
"Oh," Sookie gasps. "Oh."
"I told you they sound like galloping horses," he comments fondly.
His wife's eyes fill with tears, but she is smiling. "That's our babies, Eric."
"It certainly is."
"What about one heartbeat being slower than the other? Should we be worried?" Sookie questions.
Dr. Marconi shakes her head. "It's very common in twins for one to be further ahead than the other in development. Both heart rates are well within the normal range and both are good and strong. I don't see any reason for alarm."
'I told you so,' he sends smugly.
'Oh you hush.'
He just grins at her and waggles his eyebrows.
"Okay, I think I've seen everything I need to see. You can get up and go to the bathroom, and I'll meet you out in the reception area," the doctor tells them.
Sookie is moving almost before Dr. Marconi is finished speaking.
"Oh good, because I really have to pee," she admits, allowing him to steady her as she slides off the examination table.
The doctor laughs and gives them a little wave as Sookie hurries to the lavatory. Once his wife is finished her business, they meet with the doctor to make an appointment for the next visit.
"I'd like to see you again in four weeks to check your progress," Dr. Marconi says.
"Four weeks would be December 14th," he answers.
The doctor looks in the appointment book. "I can see her at 7:30 pm on the 14th."
"We'll be here," Sookie says with a smile.
"In the meantime, keep taking your progesterone and take good care of yourself. Eat healthy, stay active, reduce your stress. Avoid cigarette smoke and alcohol. If you experience any pain or bleeding, call me immediately. I will probably send you to the emergency room. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, just call the office and ask for me."
"We will. Thank you, doctor," Sookie replies.
He gives the doctor a nod, then takes his wife by the arm, and gently guides her out to their car. They haven't been home yet, so they head there first in order to drop off their luggage and all of their gifts. Unfortunately, when they pull up to their home, there is a familiar car in the driveway. He suppresses a growl and grits his teeth, mentally preparing himself for the ordeal he must now endure, as he parks his red Viper and exits the car.
'Be nice,' his wife admonishes, as he comes around to her side to open the door for her.
'I am always nice to your cousin,' he reminds.
'I know, and I'm sure she's used the spray so her scent won't drive you batty,' she says, taking his hand and allowing him to help her from the car.
In reality, he wants to keep her in front of him so her scent will dilute the smell of fairy just in case Claudine has forgotten to spritz herself down again. With how on edge and territorial he has been feeling lately, if the fairy has forgotten, his wife's scent might be the only thing that keeps him from attacking.
"Is it true?" Claudine asks without so much as a hello. Her voice is sad and disappointed.
He keeps his mouth shut, but he goes on high alert. His wife senses his tension and presses against him. She is already trying to restrain him in the bond.
"Why don't you tell us what you've heard, and we'll tell you if it's true," Sookie replies carefully.
The fairy looks taken aback for a moment, but then she regroups and sets her jaw. "Is it true that you're pregnant?"
He takes a deep breath, testing the air and relaxes incrementally as he realizes that he can't smell her. In front of him, his wife shivers a little in the night air.
"Yes, it's true," Sookie confirms.
Claudine blinks and drops her chin. "And who is the father?"
"Why don't we go inside and discuss this so Sookie can get out of the cold?" he offers guardedly.
The fairy nods and they make their way into the house. Her car is blocking access to the garage bay that is empty, but he does not make an issue of it. They go in through the back door, and he moves ahead of his wife, taking point and scanning the dark house for threats and things out of place. Sookie flips on the lights in the kitchen, momentarily blinding him as his eyes adjust, but he has already determined that there is nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he is alert and on edge, but he is coming to realize that is because of his wife's vulnerable condition, and not because of any real and present danger.
'What should I tell her?' his mate asks.
'Do not under any circumstances tell her the truth,' he warns.
'I can't lie to her!'
'Then allow me…' "The father is a member of my direct line," he states firmly.
"Your direct line?" the fairy repeats, her eyebrow raised.
He nods. "I had an illegitimate son when I was alive. I have kept track of his descendents."
Both statements are absolutely true. They are just not true when put together, but he knows he has been vague enough for the fairy to automatically infer that they are related.
"So Sookie has been impregnated with sperm from someone from your own bloodline?"
"Yes," he replies with absolute conviction.
"And how does the donor feel about this?" the fairy questions.
"He is fine with it."
"He is, is he?" Claudine responds, her eyes narrowing.
Sookie comes to his defense, taking his hand and standing at his side. "He is. Now are you going to tell me why you are here asking these very personal questions?"
He smiles inwardly. Too often he forgets that the female of the species is deadlier than the male. In that Kipling had it absolutely right. His mate is as territorial as he is, sometimes even more so, and now she is getting defensive. The fairy had best take heed.
"I am your fairy godmother, Sookie. It's my job to look out for you. I can't protect you if you are keeping things from me," Claudine complains.
"It was never our intention to keep it from you. We were simply waiting until things were further along," he replies reasonably.
"I would have appreciated finding out from you personally instead of reading about it on Fangtasia's blog site," the fairy retorts.
"That information was not made public on purpose. We have not made any public announcement regarding Sookie's pregnancy. I am not responsible for the gossip mongers in my Area who cannot keep their mouths shut," he sneers.
Claudine huffs and puts her hands on her hips. "Then you shouldn't have contracted to hire a Britlingen midwife. The news is all over the Supe community."
"I am assembling a team to protect Sookie while she is with child. It is my right to hire whomever I see fit. Quinn the weretiger, Sam Merlotte, vampires from my Area, and Vincent Piazzi are also on the team."
"I notice that I was not asked to be a member," the fairy snorts.
"We did not ask you because your Grandfather has many enemies who would pay undue attention to Sookie if her pregnancy became widely known," he counters.
"It already is widely known, and my Lord is not pleased to have been left out of the loop."
His fangs come down as he snarls. "That is not my problem. I have no responsibility to Niall's ego. My responsibility is to my wife."
Aforementioned spouse places herself between him and the fairy, her hands out to both of them.
"Okay, okay. Enough of this," she scolds. "I'm not supposed to be under stress, remember?" she says to him.
He huffs and backs down, but only a little, glaring at the fairy as Sookie turns to her.
"And my guess is you want to be on the team, right?"
"I have been ordered to protect you," Claudine replies, glaring back at him.
"Okay. I don't have a problem with that, but you have to play nice with the others. That includes the vamps."
"I can play nice with vampires. It's them who are a little too fond of me."
"I can control myself," he growls.
Sookie puts a hand on his chest, the flat of her palm firm against his sternum. "Easy. Easy. Enough with the posturing. You're giving me a headache."
He flicks his eyes down at her, wondering if she is being serious. He senses no pain in the bond, only her irritation, so he assumes that she is being metaphorical.
"Okay, Claudine, if you want to be on the team you need to coordinate with Eric and Quinn about what shifts you can take. Vincent and Quinn are my primary day people, but Sam comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm guessing all of that will change once the Britlingen gets here," she says.
She looks to him and he nods.
"But we don't know when she's getting here, so in the meantime you work with them."
"I can stay with you on Mondays and some Fridays," the fairy offers.
'The scent of fairy in this house will drive Pam and Bill crazy,' he warns. 'She must always remember to dampen her scent.'
"That's fine by me, but you can't forget to spray yourself down before you come here otherwise you'll incite a bloodbath."
"I won't forget," Claudine promises.
"Okay. Vincent is coming back on Sunday. Sam is with me tomorrow, and he was going to take Friday, but if you can do it, that will give him a break."
"I'll make arrangements," the fairy agrees.
"Okay good. That'll work. I'll talk to Quinn about it tonight and get it worked out."
"What am I to tell Niall?"
"Only what you've been told here," Sookie answers.
"Do you know what you are having and when you are due?"
"I am due sometime in July, but I'm carrying twins. We won't know the sex of the babies for another month."
"Twins!" the fairy gasps.
His wife nods and he puffs out his chest a little, placing a proud hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, twins," Sookie confirms with a happy lilt in her voice.
"Oh Sookie…" Claudine whispers, and in an instant she goes from stern disapproval to gushing glee. "That's wonderful."
His wife smiles and he can smell the rising estrogen in the room, and suddenly the walls are too close.
"I heard their heartbeats this evening," Sookie admits, putting her hands over her womb.
"Ooooohhhh," Claudine responds, her eyes wide and glazed over. He starts to get nervous.
"Eric heard them a week ago. They're doing really well, getting stronger by the day."
"Have you decided on names yet? Do you need help outfitting a nursery?"
He knows they are about to immerse themselves in baby planning so he beats a hasty exit, escaping from the gush-fest before he gets the uncontrollable urge to slaughter a small animal.
He tunes out the tittering as Sookie takes Claudine to the room that will be the little ones' bedroom and tells her all about the renovation plans and décor and other female things that men rarely understand and often say the wrong thing about, resulting in tears and upset. He's learned that retreat is the better part of valor in these situations, and he quickly locks himself away in his office/library. Soon he will leave for Fangtasia, but he wants to get caught up on his email and messages first.
Quinn shows up at 9:00 pm, right on time to escort Sookie to Stackhouse's so she can get caught up on her work there. He meets the weretiger at the door and informs him of the addition to the protection detail. The man is less than thrilled.
"I like Claudine, but a fairy? They attract all kinds of trouble, especially that one," Quinn complains.
"Niall has decreed that Claudine is to protect Sookie. It is best if she does that in such a way that we can keep an eye on her," he counters, keeping his voice down because he can hear Claudine and Sookie approaching.
"You do have a point," the tiger agrees. "And I wouldn't put it past Niall to try to take her to the Sidhe if he thinks Sookie isn't being adequately protected."
He bares his teeth, his fangs coming fully down. "Then he'd best be prepared for me to rip the fabric between the worlds if he tries to take my wife from me."
"I'd help you. The last time someone was taken, they were never seen again."
"Last time who was taken?" Sookie asks as she and the fairy enter the front room.
Sookie has changed into a smart-looking black skirt and a crisp white blouse with a charcoal grey vest, and she's put on a pair of modest black heels. She looks very business-like and prim with her hair up in a neat bun.
'Like a slutty librarian,' she sends wickedly.
He suppresses a growl. 'You're missing the glasses.'
'Details, details.'
"The last time someone was taken into the Sidhe, the realm of the fairies," Quinn replies, an edge of warning in his voice as he locks his eyes on Claudine. The fairy blanches.
"The Sidhe? Who's being taken to the Sidhe?" his wife asks, confused.
"We have some… concerns that your great-grandfather will attempt to… secure your safety by… relocating you," he answers carefully, watching Claudine's face intently for her reaction.
No one ever said Sookie Stackhouse was a dummy as she turns to Claudine with an iron glare. "Is this true?"
The fairy looks trapped, but she does stand her ground. "My Lord did mention the possibility of your coming to visit our realm if he felt you were in too much danger here."
"Well, you better tell your Lord that I'm stayin' put. I'm not goin' anywhere away from Eric, and I'm having my babies right here in this realm. Understood?"
Claudine looks sulky but nods. "I don't think it will be necessary. You appear to be well looked after, especially once the Britlingen gets here. My Lord wishes to split the cost with you," the fairy informs, looking at him.
He nods. "I'll consider it."
"Well, considering that the retainer alone is $700,000, my Lord is being very generous."
"$700,000!!" Sookie gasps, her eyes popping out of her head, and he glares at the fairy.
"And that's just the fee to get them to the negotiating table. The actual contractual agreement will be well over seven figures," Claudine informs, a gleeful glint in her eyes. She's sowing trouble and she knows it. Sookie looks as if she is about to give birth to a cat.
"Eric?" she questions, daring him to deny what Claudine has just said.
"My lover, you know that Britlingens are very expensive," he reminds gently.
"Eric! That is not expensive, that is the gross profit for Stackhouse's for six months!"
"And your safety is worth every penny," he assures her.
"It won't do us any good if we go broke before the babies are born!" she counters, her voice rising.
He isn't about to discuss their finances in front of anyone, and he lifts his lip to warn her. "We have no risk of going broke before the babies are born, but I will not discuss this with you right now."
"But you'd better believe that we are going to discuss it, buster!"
He growls. He hates being called buster, even worse when she pokes at him with a finger. She has no idea how many times she has come within a millisecond of losing part of her hand to his snapping teeth.
"We most assuredly will," he confirms. "But for now I must get to Fangtasia and you must get to Stackhouse's, and we will talk about this like reasonable adults later."
She seems to realize that she's shamed him in front of Quinn and the fairy, and she backs down a little.
"Okay. Okay, we will. I'll go through the books and see where we can cut corners and increase our profit margin. Maybe we can up the cover charge by a couple of dollars."
"Do not do anything until we have talked about it," he tells her firmly, and she lets him take control back by not arguing.
"Okay. I'll see you later tonight."
She steps forward and presents herself for a kiss. He's still mad at her, so all he gives her is a quick peck. It's scolding enough, and she is properly chastised.
'I'm sorry,' she apologizes.
'I forgive you.'
"I will come for you at 2:00 am," he promises, giving her a more enthusiastic kiss.
"I love you."
His insides melt. "I love you too, now scoot. We have money to make. Babies are expensive."
That gets her, and all her bad mood vanishes as she beams at him. He gives her a smile and watches as Quinn escorts her out. The two of them share a look in which he once again silently threatens the tiger with dire consequences should any harm come to Sookie while she is in his care, and Quinn returns the threat with a silent retort that he'd flay his own hide off his body before he let anything happen to his charge. They are in complete agreement.
"See you Friday," the fairy says brightly as she breezes out the door, and he is heartily glad to see her go.
She's stupid because she has her back to him as they both leave the house to go to their respective cars. He's parked her in because she was blocking the garage, so it would be easy to just pounce on her and drain her dry, but he refrains from doing so because 1) it would upset Sookie and 2) it would start a war, and he will need peace to safely raise his children.
As he backs out of his driveway to head to his bar, he reflects on the evening's turn of events. He knew that it would be impossible to keep Niall out of the loop, but he was not expecting the fairies to find out so soon. They are an unknown factor in the equation because he is uncertain how they will react. Right now, there is little danger as long as the fey believe Sookie's pregnancy is a normal IVF pregnancy, and Niall is a formidable force within the fey world. Few will risk the Prince's wrath by seeking to harm his great-granddaughter. Once the truth is out, however, there is no telling what the fairies will do.
His analytical mind turns the problem over in his head. On one hand, the Supernatural world should not be too overly concerned because, like the recovered eggs from female vampires, his children will be human, and if there are reservations about breeding new vampire armies, there are many faster ways of making soldiers. It only takes three nights to turn a human into a vampire, but if that human must be raised from infancy…
On the other hand, if the concern is breeding a replacement, or creating a family dynasty wherein a vampire fathers sons in order to turn them when they come of age, then that is a real issue. He does not deny the attraction of raising a son to adulthood, and then bringing him to his side for eternity. He remembers how Erik turned out as a normal, human man, and Erik's mother was nowhere near the same caliber as Sookie. If both of them "throw" themselves well as his wife puts it, their children will inherit the best qualities of both of them, and that means they will be a force to contend with on a serious scale.
He will raise any son of his to be a warrior, and the fairies would well know it. They might consider any boychild to be a serious threat. If that is the case, his children will be in dire peril from the moment they are born, and he foresees having to go on a killing spree violent and swift enough to make his enemies think twice about coming after his family. He has a reputation for being an easy-going guy, but a few reminders that this vampire has teeth might be in order.
He does not know who he can trust within the fey world. Niall, of course, could be considered an ally. He certainly has been in the past. But if the Prince sees Sookie's babies as a threat to the fey, then he may be their biggest enemy of all, especially because his wife trusts her great-grandfather and making her see the fairy as a danger may prove difficult. He prays it will not take the Prince attacking them before she sees the light. He prays that the fairy will not be an enemy at all. He does not want to go up against Niall, but he knows if it comes to it, he must kill the Prince quickly because he'll only get one chance.
He moves the chess pieces, making plans to cover any contingency. At present, his sights are set on the fanatics in the Fellowship of the Sun. If Sookie's pregnancy is widely known throughout the Supe world, then he can be sure that the Fellowship knows too, and he cannot assume that their silence means that they have no plans to harm his wife. If anything, their lack of reaction is the most ominous of all.
He has placed hidden bugs in Gabriel's monitoring for any hint of brewing trouble, and it is a well-known punishment for any of his subjects who have displeased him to be given the task of listening in on the "righteous" club. The standard penance is two months of being forced to endure Christian rock music from sundown to dawn. It is amazing how infrequently he has repeat offenders, but he must admit that those who have been given the job have performed the service well.
Four times they have learned about plots against vampire and Supernatural-owned businesses, and they have been able to minimize the damage or thwart the plans altogether. They even did it in such a way that the stupid humans in Gabriel's do not suspect that they are being spied upon. The zealots falsely believe that "God would not allow the demons to stop them" and that "demons are too stupid to use modern technology."
That might have been true ten years ago, but it is not so now. Vampires have embraced the modern age with zeal, and there has even been a concerted effort to "recruit" individuals with desirable skills into the annals of vampirism so to speak. Several highly useful humans have crossed over and are now in the employ of influential vampire Kings and Queens. He even as a former high-profile computer mogul as part of his retinue himself, and his talents have proven to be quite valuable.
Given the delicacy of the situation, he reasons that it would not be unwise to double the number of spying devices in Gabriel's, and perhaps add one or two at a couple of the Fellowship's more prominent compounds, and he thinks about who he could assign the task. It might be a job for the Britlingen because they have the ability to become invisible, and he wonders if she will do it if it's part of the original contract. He will have to ask if it can be added to the terms of employment when the time comes.
Pam is waiting for him when he arrives at the service entrance to Fangtasia, a tense and disapproving look on her face, and he scowls as he parks the car.
"What is it?" he demands, striding briskly to join her where she is standing, her foot propping open the back door.
His child crosses her arms over her chest and frowns. "You must do something about Steven."
He sighs tolerantly. "What has he done now?"
"He's done something with the bar's network and completely fucked the WiFi at Stackhouse's. No one has been able to get on-line since last night, the customers are complaining, and he insists that the problem isn't with network, but with the customers' operating systems."
He shakes his head and puts a hand over his forehead. There are nights when having a high maintenance techno-geek for a minion just isn't worth the trouble.
TBC…