We jump ahead seven years to Sam, Sookie, and two adorable little kids. But Sookie will never have a very settled life, as the end of this chapter brings a little quest for the Merlottes.

Thank you to all my readers for taking the time to stick with my little story. I love this couple together, and I'm anxious to see what Sam's family is like in the new season of True Blood. Refresher: The characters of course belong to Charlaine Harris and adaption rights belong to Alan Ball. I just own an active imagination....

Living on Love

"Alan Jason Merlotte, you quit picking on your sister or I'll tar your half-supe hide!"
Sookie glowered at the seven-year-old boy, who gasped in frustration. "But she started it! She said I shed everywhere and I don't turn into anything!"
"A.J., that's what sisters do; they pick on big brothers. Ask your uncle." She grinned. "But Adele, be nice to him. The next one of you I hear a whine out of gets an hour without any electronics."
Her children frowned and A.J. muttered.
"Don't make me come over there and look through your minds." Sookie fortunately could keep her children's thoughts out easily, so she used her telepathy as a way to check on what they told her. But, as little Adele was somewhat of a tattle-tale, Sookie used her power more often than she liked.
"Little Mama, I'd say let them pick on each other. They'll figure out that neither of them likes it much." Sam grinned as he watched his kids, A.J. focused on the little hand-held gamer (not an iPod, those were so 2010) and Adele drawing a picture of what seemed to be a pony.
"I don't want our kids fighting so much, Sammy."
"You and Jason argue when you were little?"
"Well, yeah…"
"Kids'll do that. You know, it's amazing how much Adele looks like you." Little Adele was four, and was one of those preschoolers who couldn't wait until kindergarten. She loved nothing more than a few sheets of paper and crayons and already could read simple words and scribble her name and her dad's name down (but with one T in "Merlotte"). She looked just like her mama, all blonde hair and elbows, and had her father's quietness about her, except for her tattle-telling.
A.J. on the other hand was a rambunctious boy, full of energy and always wanting to outside running around or playing catch. Sookie's way of describing him was "Jason with Sam's hair and mannerisms." Her kids reminded Sookie so much of her and Jason at that age, and even the age difference between A.J. and Adele was within two months of Jason and Sookie.
Now, it was about four in the afternoon. Each school day, one of the Merlottes would pick up A.J. from second grade and Adele from preschool and bring them to the restaurant for an hour or so to let them hang out with their parents. When the dinner rush would get heavy around five-thirty, the kids would go home while one of the Merlottes stayed behind to oversee the bar. Sookie's favorite moments were later at night, when the Merlottes would all sit together, Adele usually squeezing in the middle. Hoyt and Jess had moved out soon after A.J. had come along, so the old Stackhouse place was filled by the Merlottes and their two little rascals.
While the kids had never seen Fangtasia (and neither parent intended for that to change anytime soon), "Uncle Eric" and "Aunt Pam" would appear from time to time, usually to have Sookie assist with vampire matters. The kids thought Eric was all shades of cool, listening to his stories in awe while Sookie listened nervously. A.J. took particular delight in annoying Pam, which was quite easily done.
In the seven years since Sookie had become a mother, some of the Bon Temps locals had barely changed. Andy Bellefleur was still sheriff, Arlene was still working (and dying her hair), and Hoyt and Jessica still were the (unchanging) picture of sappy sweet love. But there were differences too. Coby and Lisa were in high school, Lafayette Reynolds was quickly becoming a powerful leader in the vamp community ("I'm too damn memorable to stay down," he'd say), and Bill Compton was even considering a run for city council as someone who knew Bon Temps in and out.
As for Jason and Tara, four years earlier they had gone on a whim to Las Vegas, and now Sookie's best friend was also her sister-in-law. At this rate, Sam had joked, in another generation through marriages and blood, you could play "Three Degrees of Bon Temps." Sookie thought Jason and Tara tying the knot was absolutely delightful and she insisted on a big reception back at the bar. One thing Sookie loved about the Tara-Jason romance was that her brother finally seemed to have moved on from Crystal Norris, the pain in the past staying in the past.

But in addition to her small town, Sookie still had the ties to the supernatural world. In addition to her telepathy, the vampires had decided Sam's shape shifting was very useful, and while Sam and Sookie were never put in danger, the couple's gifts were in high demand. Sam didn't trust the vampires and it took a fair amount of coaxing by Sookie (who especially played up the "we won't be separated so much" part) for him to agree to anything with the vampires. He still had his doubts though…

This day was Sam's turn to take the kids home. They trotted alongside their dad out to the car, A.J. swinging his backpack, and Adele clutching her crayons. As Sam pulled out of the space, wheeling the car down the drive, A.J. mentioned he needed more money for his lunch account.
"When does it get to zero dollars?" Sam asked. Each day lunch cost 45 cents, and Sam used the account as a way to practice math with A.J.
"Two days ago," his son replied. Darn kids.
Sam shook his head. "You have to tell us before you go under,"
"I forgot." A.J. did his best to look innocent.
"He's lying!" Little Adele piped up. "When I'm in school I tell him to not forget!"
"You think I'll listen to you?" A.J. shot his sister a look.
"Hey you two...I'm sure he'll remember to ask for more lunch money on time from here on. Right?"
A.J. mumbled a yeah and Adele went back to looking out the window, her big brown eyes watching the world go by. From time to time, she'd point excitedly. "A pony!" or "Pretty flowers!" Sam would glance in the mirror at his kids from time to time, smiling that little grin dads have when everything is going (mostly) smooth.

While Sam was trying to teach the importance of not procrastinating to their son, Sookie was dealing with procrastinating adults. "You waited until now to ask for a week off?!"
Technically, she still was a waitress. But by now Sam had let her in on running the bar and over the years she had turned into a second boss--and a noticeably stricter one than her husband. Now, she was eyeing Sally Ann DeLong, wondering why in God's great green Earth she had waited until five days before to ask for a week off.
"I'm sorry Sookie but this thing came up. My aunt Bernice told me about..." As she droned on, Sookie zoomed in her mind. Look lady, Sam would let me. Arlene's told me about how you would twirl off to God-knows-where on Sam and--
"Arlene say why I would zoom off like that?"
Sally Ann stopped short. Sookie hid a grin. The telepathy tended to settle a lot of arguments in Sookie's favor, as the other person would usually give up.
"This time, we can cover for you. But don't try this again."
As Sally Ann hurried off, Sookie shook her head. "That gal couldn't find her back end if she was sittin' on it."
Tara cracked up. "What?"
"Gran used to say it. So since she'll be gone, we need some more help. Want to wait on rednecks all evening?" Sookie teased.
Tara shot her a look. "I'm still surprised you're hanging out here while you have Sam head home."
"Two kids, seven and four? Gal, this is my escape!" The two women giggled. "But I should get going. Tomorrow's the Friday rush, so Sam and I are spending some extra time with the little ones. Jase still up for watching them tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, he should be. You realize he plans his week around when he can watch 'em?"
"Seriously?" Sookie laughed. "Speaking of Jason and kids..."
"Hell no. We'll steal one of yours first."
"No widdle Stackhouse-Thornton kiddos?"
"No." Tara grinned. "Now get home and pay some attention to your kids."
Sookie made a face at her friend, said a few goodnights, and headed out.

Sookie cuddled in next to Sam after dinner, leaning her head on his shoulder as Adele snuggled up to her mama and A.J. plopped down into a chair. "What's on TV?" he wondered out loud.
"You get your homework all done?" Sookie asked.
"Yes, Mom. Even the math worksheet."
"9 times 7?" Sam quizzed his son. A.J. scowled. "Yuck."
Adele piped up. "Nine plus sevwen is, uh," she counted on her fingers, "six-a-teen."
"Good girl!" Sam said.
"I like counting!" Adele grinned. "All he likes is fwootball!" She pointed a finger at her brother as Sookie cracked up.
"Come on gal, not nice to point. So how are your friends?" She loved hearing her kids' voices.
Little Adele launched into a big story about how Annie Collard wanted her to come to her birthday party next week and she wanted to be a Girl Scout.
"That's a lot of work, sweetie..."
"I want to!"
"You'd have to pee in the woods!" A.J. teased.
"Eww! Really?"
"Addie, you gross little girl."
"You know the Memorial Day parade is up soon," Sam changed the subject. A.J. took the hint.
"Could you turn into a dog and we walk you like last year?"
"That was fun..." Sookie supported.
"All right, I guess being a shape shifting Dad I could..."
"Thanks, sweetie. You know the kids loved it."

A knock at the door interrupted the family gathering.
"Let Momma up," Sookie cooed as Adele scooched down.
At the door was Lafayette Reynolds, who nodded as he came in (Sookie had invited him in right after he'd been turned).
"How are the offspring?" He said with a sly grin. The two kids squealed and hugged his knee, not intimidated at all by the vampire.
"Run along, little ones," Sam patted their backs. "We have grown-up things to talk about."
As A.J. and Adele went back in the living room, the Merlottes turned to Laffy.
"Eric wants you two to look for a locket someone close to him once owned."
"So he wants us to find some jewelry?" Sam's eyebrows went up. "Well, it's a very important piece. Very valuable. And you two could think of going to find it as a mini-vacation. I would come along, but I know you'd want some privacy." Sookie blushed a little as Laffy wriggled his eyebrows.
"How long of a trip and where?" Sookie questioned as she focused. She knew the agreement with Eric meant she couldn't really turn down an assignment. He would listen to her concerns and consider changing some plans around if she wanted, particularly if Sam was involved. But Sookie and Sam still had their obligations to the supe world.
"Probably close to a week and some ways away."
" I'd feel bad about asking Jason to watch them for a week and I really don't want to be away from our kids that long." Sookie groaned as she considered the set up here.
"Jason could watch them some of the time, and he could take them to school for us. And Jess or somebody could easily handle the nights." Sam suggested.
"OK, sounds like you have the plan, Sammy." Sookie half-smiled as Sam figured out an idea for the distance from home.
"Hey Laffy, could you set up a webcam thingy so we could maybe talk with our kids while we're away?"
"Sam, if it's a way to send pictures over the Internet, I got the shit figured out." He grinned, and Sookie suppressed a giggle.
"You still didn't say where we would go," Sookie pointed out.
"Oh, yeah. This locket we'd like you to track down is in Paris." Sookie's eyes got wide. "France."

The next chapter: The Merlottes take a trip, while Eric and Pam discover the joys of children...I'm thinking there's maybe six or so parts left? We still have three years in the (planned) timeline to go, as Sookie will find out something gets passed on...