"What the hell?" were the first words I heard in the morning. I sat straight up and looked around, the sun was barely up. There was still an indent on the pillow next to me telling me Eric hadn't been gone very long. I rubbed my eyes like a child before I heard it again. "What the fuck are you doing in here?" Mike shouted from the other room. I jumped out of bed and ran across the room, almost afraid of what I was going to find. I ran into the open doorway to find Mike standing on one side of the bed staring at Claude who was shirtless and propped on his elbow on the bed. "Claude, what are you doing?" I asked trying to stifle a laugh. "How was I supposed to know you didn't sleep in your bed last night?" Claude asked innocently. I started laughing then, I couldn't contain it. Claude began to laugh too. Aidan walked into the room, and looked around and he started to laugh. Only Mike stood scowling. "Mike, I'm sorry if I frightened you, it's good for Sookie to be around her fairy kin, and so I've been stopping by every morning and lying with her so that she would start her day off strong. I had no idea that you would be in her bed, so when I popped into the bed I just naturally put my arm around you." Claude tried to apologize but it wasn't very convincing with the smirk on his face. "It's not funny. You scared the shit out of me, your lucky I didn't shoot your ass, and couldn't you tell that I wasn't Sookie." Mike spat. "Well since I can't see who's in the room before I appear, no I couldn't. I just imagined the bed and here I am." Claude answered. "I told you last night that Claude had his own mode of transportation. Now relax, he meant no harm by it." I said to Mike. "Sookie, I can definitely see why you are so torn about this; Mike is just as delicious as Eric any day." Claude said teasingly. "Claude, not now." I said trying again to hide my laughter. "What the hell does that mean?" Mike said. "Just that Claude is a fairy and he just happens to be gay." I said as I took Aidan's hand and led him to the kitchen. Claude followed quickly and left Mike to stew.

I fixed Mike's favorite biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast. I left the boys to do the dishes and showered and got dressed. Claude once again poked his head in the bedroom while I was toweling off. "Claude, do you not understand privacy?" I fussed at him. "The female body is beautiful and to be appreciated even if I don't swing that way. Speaking of your body. Today is supposed to be in the eighties in April. I think you should dress in your skimpiest swimsuit and lay in the sun with me." Claude said while moving his eyebrows up and down. "That sounds wonderful, but I don't think I brought one with me." I answered. "I'm sure you have one in your old drawers, you only had a dozen or more." Claude said as he opened my old chest of drawers. "Maybe so, but those aren't going to fit now." I answered. "Who cares, it'll just be us outside, and maybe Aidan." Claude said. "Oh all right." I responded and started to dig through the drawers. I found a red string bikini with yellow polka dots on it. I grabbed a silk robe and wrapped it around me and walked into the living room.

Mike was holding Adele, playing with her, and Aidan was coloring on the table. "Mike, I know you want some time to be with the kids and think about all you've learned. So Claude and I will be outside. If you need something please let me know, and make yourself at home." I said. He just nodded, and Claude and I went outside. He was right it was going to be a gorgeous day. I went around to the back shed and opened it up. It was in perfect order. I reached on the pegs at the side and pulled down a lounge chair, and then grabbed the old radio. I spread a blanket from the linen closet on the ground for Claude, set up my lounge chair, turned on the radio, and relaxed with the sun beating down on me. I was probably out there an hour when I heard the door open. Aidan came outside. "Mom, Dad wants to know if you'd like some lemonade." "No, honey, Claude is allergic to lemonade, but I would like some tea." I said. "OK, I'll tell him." And he went back inside.

"Do you think he'll try and poison me because I showed up in bed with him?" Claude asked in all seriousness. "No, he wasn't really mad, just disappointed it wasn't me slipping into bed with him this morning. He had trouble sleeping last night, and came in to talk to me in the middle of the night and found Eric in bed with me. He's just hurt." I answered Claude. The door opened again, and Mike came out with a tray of iced tea. "I thought you could use a drink." Mike said. "Thank you." I said as I took the tea from the tray, Claude did the same. "Do you mind if Aidan and I come out here so he can play on his new swing?" Mike asked. "No, of course not." I said smiling at him. I searched his mind. I wish she'd cover herself up, its indecent how damn good she looks in that bikini after two kids. If she doesn't want me to want her then she needs to stop flaunting herself. She wore my favorite dress yesterday and today she's strutting around in a bikini that barely covers her. And here I was going to go to her last night and try and convince her to run away with me this morning, to take the kids and run as far as we could. I know people all over the world that would help us hide, and what do I find but the fucking vamp with his arms wrapped around her while she slept. Mother fucker looked right at me and smiled. If I didn't love her so much I would have staked him right there and let him spill his guts all over her.

"Dad, come watch me." Aidan shouted from the swing and Mike walked over to him. As soon as he was out of hearing distance I turned to Claude. "He is still so angry. He had thought to beg me to run away with him until he found Eric in bed with me this morning. I'm scared what his anger will do to him." I told Claude. "Did you tell him his options?" Claude asked. "What options?" I asked Claude. "Well he could disappear, he could be murdered, he could lose his memory, he could be turned or last but certainly not least, he could join the other side." Claude said nonchalantly. "Thanks Claude, you are so much help today." I smarted off. "Relax Sookie, if I felt that he was a danger to you or the kids I would take him out by order of my Prince, as it is I just keep checking up on you in case I'm wrong." Claude said. "I'm going in to call Jason. I want to know why the panther pack was a no show last night." I told Claude, and stood up and wrapped my robe around me, but not before I noticed that Mike was watching my every move. I walked over to him. "I'm going inside to get dressed and make some phone calls. Do you two need anything?" I asked. "Sookie, I have some more questions for you later." Mike told me. "Sure Mike, I'll answer all of them, why don't we wait until the kids take a nap, and I'll send Claude home." I answered. "That's fine, I've got time." Mike responded.

Once inside the house I went into my bedroom and rummaged through my drawers. I found a pair of black shorts, and a cute red tank top with a ribbon neck that tied in a bow. After I got dressed I went into the kitchen, and prepped a roast with potatoes and carrots that we'd eat for dinner, and stuck it in the oven. Then I grabbed the phone. I called Jason's cell phone, hoping to catch him at lunch. He answered on the third ring. "This is Jason." "Hey, what happened last night?" I asked not wasting any time. "What do you mean what happened last night." Jason asked. "I called over to Calvin's and told him Felipe and his crew were attacking me at my house and could they show up and they never did." 'Hell Sookie, why didn't you call me, I would have come." Jason said. "Jason I figured Calvin would have told you, or was he not serious about protecting us." I asked. "I don't know Sook, but I intend to find out, I'll call you later." He said. "Ok, but Jason, Eric was pissed so don't be surprised if he shows up in Hot Shot after sundown." I told him. "OK, I'll warn Calvin, thanks Sookie, and I'm sorry we weren't there. I take it everything is ok." Jason responded. "No, it's not ok, Mike is furious, he was held by fang point by Felipe, and Eric had to save him. It was not good. Now Felipe knows about Mike and Adele, only Aidan is safe, but I'm sure not for long." I answered him. "Damn Sookie, I'm sorry, I've got to go. I'll call you later." Jason said and hung up before I could respond.

My next phone call was to Amelia. Her phone rang several times; finally I heard it forward to her shop in New Orleans, and then again forward to her home phone, each time starting a new set of rings which was common when trying to get a hold of Amelia. Finally I got a voicemail. "Amelia, its Sookie. I'm back, and things have already slipped back into old habits. I don't want to go into to much detail, but I need the wards set back up at Gran's house. I also might need your help with Mike. He's angry and hurt like I know you said he would be, but he's talking about wanting to be turned. I don't want that for him, but I don't know what to do. Call me, or better yet show up, I'll find room for you. Thanks, Bye." Where is that girl, I thought.

Aidan, Claude and Mike were coming in then. Mike and Claude were both chuckling at something Aidan said or did. "Mom, we men are getting hungry, why don't you rustle up some grub for the drive." Aidan said in his best cowboy voice. "And what do cowboys like to eat?" I asked him. "PORK & BEANS" he shouted and then burst into laughter. "Just kidding Mom, how about some potato soup and grilled cheese." he said after much thought. "No problem baby, go get cleaned up." I told him, and got busy in the kitchen. Once the soup was done I set to getting the sandwiches together. I filled the plates and bowls, and called the men into the kitchen. They all sat around the table talking and eating. It was a good sight. I reached out into Mike's mind again, trying to see if he had calmed. Maybe if I show her that she can have both of us in her life. I could handle being her day man. Maybe if I took a lover, maybe a female vampire lover then I wouldn't care if she was with him at night. I could have it both ways. The Sookie I want during the day, and he can have the Sookie he wants during the night. Who am I kidding, I'd never share her, and I don't think he will either. There is only one solution. I have to kill Eric. "NO!" I shouted, and all three of them turned and stared at me. "What Sookie?" Mike asked, thinking I'd just read his mind.

"Claude, do you mind taking Aidan up and getting him down for his nap." I asked Claude. He stood up and took Aidan's hand; I kissed Aidan as he walked by. As soon as I heard them on the stairs I started talking. "Mike, I know I've hurt you, but attempting to kill Eric will not solver our problems." I told him. "I know that Sookie, you'd probably never forgive me, and it still wouldn't change how you've hurt me. I am angry and I'm trying to figure it out." He said. "You said you had questions for me. What are they?" I asked him. "Well for starters, how do you know you love Eric, and it's not just the bond, or him glamouring you?" Mike asked. "I can't be glamoured; my telepathy protects me from that. And for a long time I thought that it was the blood bond that kept me in love with Eric, but I've been away from it for five years, and I still love him, and I still want to be with him. I can't explain why." I answered him. "Did you know I was giving you Eric's blood when you were pregnant?" "No, not until after Aidan was born. When I was pregnant with Adele don't you remember I begged you not to listen to Pam. You did it that time be your own accord." I explained to him. "Do you love him because he's a vampire?" he asked quietly. "No, I love him for the humanity I see in him in spite of him being a vampire for over a thousand years." I answered quickly. "Can you ever see yourself having a normal life back?" he continued. "No, I know now that it's not possible. Too many people know who I am, and what I am. The best I can do is making it work for me, and use my abilities to keep everyone satisfied and the children safe." I responded thinking to myself that this was going well. "Do you want me around?" he asked pointedly. "Yes, I do. I know it hurts you, and it hurts me too, but I don't want our kids to grow up without their father. They deserve better than that." I answered confident in my answer.

He was quiet for a few minutes. "Anything else you want to know?" I asked him. "Just one more, why don't you want me to be a vampire, are you afraid that with that power I'll become stronger than Eric and kill him?" he asked. "No, I don't, I'm afraid you'll think that, and in your newness, and bloodlust will make a very foolish mistake and get yourself killed, and our children will lose their father for good. But also I don't think you'd like being a vampire. You yourself told me that you left the Army because you couldn't stand the bloodshed anymore; vampires drink blood, and those first few years you would be in constant want of blood. Also you love food, you are an amateur chef, vampires don't eat food, and you'd be giving up your only hobby. You love to be outdoors in the sunshine and always have a great tan from all the outdoor activities you do. That would have to stop immediately. I already mentioned that your bloodlust might be too much for you to stay near us, and your anger might take over you. That would make for a very dangerous vampire child, and if a child can't be controlled easily the maker will torture it into submission, or kill it, their choice. Besides none of the local vampires will turn you, you heard them last night." There I had made my case, maybe he would listen to it. He was silent for a long time. I didn't want to reach into his mind because I knew he didn't want me too.

"Mike kids are asleep, Claude has slipped out for awhile, and neither of us got much sleep. Why don't we both lay down for a nap, maybe after some rest you'll have a better perspective." I said to him, and got up to lie in the guest room. A few minutes later I heard Mike close the other bedroom door, he was taking my advice.

This is a short chapter since I've already done two others today. I love reading your reviews, and there is so much more to this story I could tell. I hope you are as anxious to read it as I am to get it out of my head. Thanks for reading, and thanks to CH.