I DON'T OWN SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES OR ANY RESEMBLANCE THEREOF.

A GREAT BIG HUGE THANKS TO MY CHEERLEADER AND QUEEN OF COMMA'S, MY LOVELY BETA HOPESTREET.

OK, A COUPLE OF THINGS, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AND SOME QUESTIONS:

1) THIS ISN'T TIME TRAVEL, THESE ARE PAST LIVES THEY ARE EXPERIENCING TOGETHER.

2) A COUPLE GABALDON/OUTLANDER FANS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE BOOKS AND MY STORY LINE… SORRY GUYS. IN THE END, I THINK IF I'M HAVING FUN WITH HARRIS'S CHARACTERS AND BOOKS, IT'S OK TO HAVE FUN WITH GABALDON'S TOO, RIGHT?

THAT BEING SAID:

Chapter 20 – The Ridge: Part 2

(Sookie POV)

We left Amelia's late in the afternoon. We had been sitting with Octavia for over 5 hours. It was amazing in its way, but it was also exhausting and trying. Our life on Frasier's Ridge was not happy. We tried for children, but I couldn't conceive. We attempted to tell the Frasiers about our 'talents,' but every time I miscarried, we chickened out. Finally, the pregnancy took, but it wasn't meant to be. Even with Claire Frasier's medical talents, I died along with the baby only three days later. Depressed, angry and alone, Eric let himself fall further and further into despair. He took to drinking and was killed in a brawl 4 years after our deaths outside a bar. It was awful and tragic and made me wonder if I wanted to know more.

If I had thought about it, maybe it would have occurred to me that not every lifetime we had could be wonderful. We were spoiled by memories of the life we knew in India. It was beautiful and filled with life and spices. Of course, everything happened so quickly with Octavia that we didn't have the chance to think. That night, when we got home, I took a shower and cried my little heart out. I couldn't remember my dead child. I couldn't remember dying, but it happened, and it killed Eric in the long run. What if things kept going down hill? Could I handle hearing about more dead children, pain, and losing loved ones?

After I had dried myself, I went to bed. It was only 9:30, but I couldn't face being awake and the questions in my head anymore. Eric was in the other room, watching TV. Between my own exhaustion and the distant white noise, I fell asleep immediately.

(Eric POV)

It was almost midnight. I had walked into the bedroom at about 10 to see how Sookie was, but she had fallen asleep. I walked out quietly, not wanting to wake her. Besides, I couldn't fall asleep, there were too many nagging thoughts in my head. I was hoping that some mindless TV watching would help drown them out. It was just past midnight, and I was getting drowsy. Then like a car alarm out of nowhere, Sookie was screaming. I ran into the bedroom. She was sideways on the bed. Her still damp hair was a mess. She was tangled in the sheets. She thrashed and cried out again. I didn't know what to do. Wasn't it dangerous to wake someone out of a nightmare? She called out my name and bucked violently. I couldn't watch anymore. I had to do something. I sat on the edge of the bed, and when Sookie had calmed down for a moment, I put my hands on her face and rubbed my thumbs against her cheeks. "Hush now," I said calmly. I didn't want her waking up in a fury. She seemed to still under my touch. But a few moments later, I could feel her body begin to stiffen again. I had to wake her up before the screams and kicking happened again.

"Sookie," I said as she squirmed. "Sookie, come on, wake up for me!" Nothing. She moaned and kicked her legs, and finally I yelled, "SOOKIE!"

She opened her eyes suddenly. She was breathing heavily, sweat trickling down her face. She lay there frozen for a moment before she blinked and seemed to slowly register where she was. She looked at me and suddenly burst into to tears – angry breathtaking tears that made her whole body convulse. I pulled her up and into my lap. She wrapped her legs around my hips and cried into my shoulder. I had never seen her so upset. Not even when she cried over her grandmother was she ever this unhinged.

"Sookie baby, please," I said gently when I couldn't take it anymore. "I'm here. I'm right here," I continued. She couldn't seem to calm down. "Sookie, I need to know you're ok. I'm a little scared here." That seemed to get her attention. She took big gulps of air to calm herself. The tears slowly stopped. Her gulps turned into heavy sighs, and finally she was breathing normally. "Sookie? What can I do for you?"

"Water," she said as she unraveled herself from me to sit on the bed. I went to kitchen, got her a glass of water, and put on the kettle for some tea before coming back to the bedroom. I handed her the water and went to the bathroom to get a damp washcloth. I came back, sat next to her, and washed the sweat and tears from her face. She finally gave me a smile and sighed, seemingly ridding herself of the nightmare.

"Can you talk about it now?"

"I don't really remember much."

"Tell me anyway?"

She paused, "Someone was hurting me." My breath left me. "I don't know if it was just a dream or… well, not a dream."

I almost didn't want to know more, but I had to ask. "How were they hurting you, Sookie?"

She paled and said, "He was on top of me, pulling at my skirt. I was struggling…"

I cut her off. Not only couldn't I hear it; I didn't want her dwelling on it any longer either. I pulled her into me, "I'm so sorry, love."

"The worst part? I don't know if it was just a dream or if it really happened."

"Sookie, you're here with me now. That's all that matters. No one will ever hurt you, love. I promise."

Neither of us could sleep after that. After making some tea, Sookie joined me on the couch and took to her journals to write… We woke up the following afternoon, – Sookie's head on my stomach, her journal on the floor, the TV still on, and a cup of cold tea on the coffee table. We were stiff, but at least we had gotten some sleep against all odds. Sookie slept soundly. There were no repeats of her nightmare. She didn't thrash or scream, she simply fell asleep, and for that, I was grateful.

We took a shower and made love under the warm spray, waking up each other's bodies in the sweetest way possible. Her hands found my dick and rubbed deliberately until it was ready for her. She turned her body around and pushed her sweet ass into me, making me groan. In one swift move, I entered her warm, wet body and let instinct take over as I slid in and out of her. We needed this. We needed the reminder that no matter whatever else we might learn, we were here and together now. We were alive and healthy and in love. The past was over, we had no control over it, but we had the present. We would make every moment count; there would be no regrets in this life. We would love, smile, laugh and cry, and be blissfully happy for as many days we had.

Sookie made a late lunch, and we sat and spoke. What did we want? I wanted Sookie. She told me I had her. What did she want? She wanted a life with me. She wanted to give Niall and Lafayette grandchildren, she wanted a house with a garden, and she wanted to do something she was passionate about. I smiled. I had never thought of myself as a father – I didn't really have one to look up to growing up after all. But when she mentioned it, all I could see was a child with golden curls and Sookie's smile. Would that child fly? Would it be able to hear thoughts? Would it be as loving as Sookie? As tall as me?

"What are you thinking?" asked Sookie, interrupting my little daydream.

"I'm wondering if our children will be tall." She threw her head back and laughed with all her heart.

"Well, let's not find out for a few years at least, ok?"

"I don't know that a few years is a good enough answer for the children's grandfathers."

"They'll just have to deal. There are things I want to do before I'm barefoot and pregnant."

"Fair enough, like what?"

"I want to see Paris, and Australia, and Thailand. I want to find something I love doing and learn to do it really well. I want to know where our lives together began and why we always come back to one another."

"Paris is best in spring, Sydney is fun year round, and I've never been to Thailand, but I can't wait to see you in a bikini!"

"Eric Northman! I was being serious!"

"Ok, ok! We'll go to Paris in April, Sydney for New Year's, and Thailand next summer!"

"Just like that, huh?"

"Yes. Just like that. Are you going to fight me on this? Tell me not to spend my money on the mother of my children?" Her mouth dropped open. "Did I really just render you speechless?"

"Umm… I thought you were kidding about all that!"

"I don't kid, Sookie. We're going to Paris in the spring, Australia over the holidays, and Thailand next summer. It's what you want, and it's what you're going to have. As for the rest of it, we can find a house with a garden tomorrow if you want. Octavia will help us find out about our pasts, but only you can find something you love doing. Can I make a suggestion though?"

She nodded, with a slightly shocked look on her face. "Why not take some writing classes? You've already filled an entire journal and are almost through the second. It's something you seem to love."

She nodded at me again. "Sookie, love, speak to me?"

"Mhmm."

"That was humming, not talking."

"Just give me a sec to take this all in, ok?"

"You can have all the time you want. I'm not going anywhere." Sookie's phone rang from the bedroom. She got up and went to answer it. A few moments later I heard her scream. I jumped up and ran to the bed. Had she hurt herself? Was she ok? I came into the room to find Sookie jumping on the bed and yelling "Oh my God! Oh my God!" over and over again into the phone. She didn't seem hurt or upset; in fact, she seemed really happy? She was all smiles and bouncing.

"Hold on a sec, k?" she said into the phone. She turned to me, "It's Tara. J.B. just proposed!"

I sighed with relief – thank God! "Tell her congrats from me."

"Ok! Hey, Tara, Eric says congrats!" She blew me a kiss and giggled before asking Tara for all the details. I left the room with Sookie all smiles. A sudden vision of Sookie in white ran through my mind as I walked into the other room. Suddenly I was feeling bouncy too…

A/N

I know this was shorter than usual, but out of no where things got crazy busy at work!

Did I thank you guys for getting me over 500 revs yet? OMG THANK YOU! Now… can we get to 750? Better yet… 1000?

I have a doozy of a question this week and I want a lot of answers ok?

What would you like to see for Sookie and Eric's past life in the 1500's. I already have 1600's worked out, but I need a little inspiration for the 1500's. Tudor England? Mongol China? Some random island? Let me know. The most popular answer/idea wins. If I get enough answers I might have to put it to a poll! Make me poll you! Please!

The rev button wants brilliant ideas…