8/13/10 - This chapter has been edited and re-posted on this date.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, adding the story to your favorites list and/or putting it on alert. The numbers keep growing.

Special Thanks: PlainJane Littlefork for pointing out that Orlando Magic is a basketball team and not a baseball team. The game is listed online as MLB; I was thinking Major League Baseball, not basketball. I have heard of the basketball team before but did not think much on it, my bad. The change is now reflected in this story.

Okay, I know it isn't Monday. I try to at least put one out each Monday and I didn't this week. But you have to admit, the last chapter was really long...

Reminder: Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlene Harris. I'm just messing with her world.

(25) Propositions

My hand brushes against Eric as I stretch and yawn. I hop in the shower and contemplate what to wear to work. It is supposed to be another awful day. I decide on a pastel skirt suit. It is not as cool as I might like, but I will be inside an air conditioned building for most of the time.

I work on my ensemble. I put on a sensible pair of shoes that go well with the suit. I dress and put my hair into a French twist so that my hair won't stick to my face when I am outside. Next I put in the diamond thread earrings that Eric gave me some time ago. I finish the look with some eye shadow and lip gloss.

I walk into the kitchen area. Everyone is eating something different this morning. Leona is eating an omelet with toast, Patty eats peanut butter toast and an apple, Fiona is heating waffles, Maggie cooks scrambled eggs. I decide on cereal and pour myself some Raisin Bran Crunch.

I wonder what went down yesterday but I don't ask. Patty will tell me if she wants me to know. Patty's expression indicates that she knows that I am curious. She looks at the other faces, they're curious too. Leona is the only other one here that was present yesterday when whatever happened happened.

Patty informs us, "Some humans attacked while I was on my way back into the hotel. I had just gone to Winn Dixie for supplies so my hands were full... I didn't even know what was happening at first; all I saw were shifters. It scared the... it was scary."

I ask her, "Had you seen them shift before?"

Patty says, "I've seen Lucy and Warren in another form a couple of times; I haven't seen anyone else in animal form that I know of."

Leona says, "She was startled, but seemed to figure it out pretty quickly. Most humans would attempt to run from lions, wolves and that other thing."

Patty's eyes go wide, "You don't know what that was?"

Leona says, "It's not important. He's dead now."

Our curiosity is peeked now. Patty and Leona tell us the story. After running some errands, Patty went to Winn Dixie to buy some items. The parking lot had a number of people around, so she was fine getting into her car. The hotel parking lot was another story. There were a few people not too far away, but no one was within sight. Three humans came after her after she had her arms full. Before she knew it, a huge lion was behind her and he was roaring mad.

She tells us, "I didn't see them. Not a single one of them and then the whole area was like Supernatural Central; it was like they came out of nowhere. If they hadn't been there... if Cleander and Leona weren't... I had a lighter in my pocket but I wouldn't have had the time..." She looks at Leona, "I'm damn lucky." Patty turns to me for a moment, "If you hadn't gotten involved a couple of weeks ago, I'd be dead a few times over by now... this is not the way I would have expected to live my life, but at least I am alive. I thank you for that."

"You're welcome, but I really haven't done all that much." I tell her. Then I ask, "Do you know who the humans were?"

Leona answers, "Fellowship followers; they recognized her as a human that has been with you and Eric. They had planned to kidnap her and extract information. We held the men until the Sheriff came; we knew that he would want to speak to them personally. The Sheriff did his own questioning before having one of his vampires come and make an arrest."

I say to Patty, "You mentioned wolves and something else when the humans attacked?"

Patty's eyes go big, "Yeah, it was like they all came out of thin air. There were at least three wolves; they were huge! And there was this other thing... It was a small furry thing. I don't know what it was but I guess it was working with the humans 'cause it was killed quick." She is surprised, "I'd have thought that seeing blood and flesh torn open would make me feel sick or something... but I just felt relieved." Patty sits up and addresses Leona, "Cleander didn't have any blood on his mouth, only on his paws. I thought lions killed with their bite."

Leona says, "Normally we do, but that is not always the best." Leona glances at the other women, like she might have just told them something. She says to Patty, "You were much calmer than I would have expected."

Patty adds, "Me too."

"I'm surprised that the Fellowship would work with a shifter." I wonder out loud. "Maybe they were planning to kill him after he did what they wanted."

Leona simply states, "No. They didn't know each other." No more information is given. Leona's phone rings. She answers. About two minutes later she hangs up and tells us that Cleander is on his way.

Now that I am finished with breakfast, I clean my bowl and put it away along with the glass. Then, I go back into the room to find my note from Eric.

Lover,

Patty will be with you throughout the day today. She may use my office to do her office work.

It has been several days since we talked about you and Patty seeing a doctor. You have not mentioned having found one. If you have not; please spend some time today investigating. Your health is very important.

Our farmhouse should be ready for us by the end of the week. The guards know where their sleeping quarters will be. You may wish to speak to Eloise; she will be safer working for us if she is on the premises. The guest house has a floor for the help and should be large enough to accommodate her and her children. If she is interested, tell her that I will speak with her in person when she comes in for work tomorrow.

Have a pleasant day, Lover.

E

Wow! As if I'm not already living high on the hog, now I have servant's quarters! I wonder if it's safe for her children to be here. They will have to attend school. I'm sure that they will think of this too, but I'll mention it anyway. I sure would feel awful if something happened to one of her children on his way home from school simply because he is associated with this place.

The doorbell rings. Cleander is here. I can feel the nasty outside air gush in when the door opens for Cleander to step in. He is dressed in a nice suit but looks like he just got out of a pool. He says to us, "I left the car running so it will stay cool. It is nasty outside. I hate to say it Sookie, but I'd be surprised if the construction crew even gets half a day of work done... Speaking of which, Eric and I spoke about security and decided that at least for today Patty will be with you. This is because the office building is crawling with security; it's the safest place to work and has all of the equipment needed for office work."

I am curious, "Is this all because of the shifter that tried to attack Patty yesterday?"

Cleander looks confused for a moment, and then says "The shifter was not attacking Patty." I thought Patty said that he killed it. Why would he kill a shifter that wasn't attacking? Cleander sees the confusion on my face, "The shifter was a leontophone."

Fiona exclaims, "They're real?"

Okay, I don't know what a leontophone is but the fact that a werewolf is surprised that they exist is just too funny. I can't help but laugh. Unfortunately, I am the only one laughing. I stop myself and ask, "What is a leontophone?"

Cleander tells us, "Leontophones are also known as Lion Killers. Back in Medieval Times it was common knowledge that you could kill a lion by sprinkling the ashes from a burnt Leontophone on meat. Lions have a compulsion to kill them when we sense them."

Leona says, "And this is why they are lethal. When we are compelled to kill, it is natural to bite." She turns to Cleander, "Thank you for denying me. I have no doubt that I would have bitten."

Cleander explains, "Biting a live Leontophone is just as deadly as eating some of its' ashes."

Maggie says, "I have never heard of them. Any idea how many are in the area?"

Cleander says, "I doubt that there are more nearby. They are very rare and even though they are lethal to us, they don't care for the pain of being bitten and clawed. Their natural instinct is to flee from nearby lions."

Patty wants to know, "Then why didn't he? If he'd listened to his instincts he'd still be alive."

Fiona says, "Someone wants your guards dead. If it's not a personal vendetta then I would guess that it's part of a plan to get to you, Patty."

Cleander nods his head. "We do believe that may be the case. If I had bitten him, I most likely would have died before I could finish my kill. The attacker would heal eventually. He took a gamble and bet that I would bite and not just maul."

Not long after the Leontophone conversation we head out of the house. Good Lord it is nasty out here! It's a steam bath. I thought yesterday was bad. We pile into the car. What a relief to have air conditioning. I know it's only about fifteen feet from the front door to the car but it is that horrible.

I see Cleander put the keys in the ignition of the car that is already running. He tells me that my car has remote start; the car can run and still be locked.

The drive is short but for a good bit I can't help but cringe at the thought of getting out of the air conditioned car to walk into the building. We pull up to the parking structure, just before we go inside a sprinkle of water hits the windshield. We must have passed some sprinklers. Cleander parks the car and there is a loud rumble in the sky.

The shifters sniff the air and still for a moment. I ask what is going on and I am told that it is about to rain; and then it does. We exit the car and stand in the parking structure enjoying the change of air. Thank you, Lord. The rain is heavy for a couple of minutes. We walk out of the parking structure and into the office building once the rain becomes light.

We enter the office building and receive welcoming smiles as normal. Most of the guards, the Weres, know who Patty is but the humans are wondering. Those who don't know figure that she is someone of importance; it is apparent that she too comes with guards.

Some of the thoughts that I hear are comical. Several of the human ladies practically drool over Cleander. One thinks, "He's gorgeous, warm and alive... he'd feel warmer inside than a Popsicle." Another woman moves a hand to the corner of her mouth, "Damn that is one fine piece of human flesh. Is he human?" A couple of people notice the way Cleander looks at Patty and they are disappointed. One of them thinks, "Taken or gay; he's taken." The other begins to think about pursuing him anyway, "No rich bitch is going to be with her body guard for long..." A data analyst that I recognize from reading the personnel files thinks about how he'd like to be between Cleander and Patty right now. He'd like me to be there too, but knows that that is definitely out of the question.

There are some lustful thoughts for Patty too. One man silently hopes, "Please don't let her be Eric's. I can't approach her if she is." One of the project managers thinks, "Hello, gorgeous. Fuck, she probably belongs to a vampire." Another person thinks, "Please let her be into bondage parties." Whoa! Too much information.

I approach the reception desk. Patty follows. I address the receptionists and introduce Patty. I speak loud enough for most people in the area to hear. The men are dismayed that Patty is Eric's but then happier to learn that she is his descendant; now they're just nervous about asking him for permission to be with her. Cleander and Leona are here so I introduce them. I explain that they are here as guards and when it comes to safety they will be given the same consideration as my own guards.

While I make the introductions a few things happen. More people notice the look in Cleander's eye when he gazes upon Patty while I introduce her. The same is true for Patty; she is doe eyed when I introduce Cleander. I'm sure she doesn't realize it, but it is there. Except for the man who wants to be the "filling in their sandwich," all other hopes are dashed.

We head up to the seventh floor. I show Patty where things are and then sit down at my desk to do some work of my own. There is a note.

Ms. Stackhouse,

After careful consideration, your proposal for Northman Enterprises to host a Day Care facility has been accepted. Two of our project managers are available now; Lindsey and John. As you conceived of the idea, you may choose whom you wish to put your project together. You will note that I have decided on your second suggested location as being the best. Details on the space are inside the folder; the project manager will need this information.

Your proposal was very well done. I look forward to seeing the project come to completion. Congratulations.

E. Northman

-I look forward to calling you Mrs. Northman.

I look up the numbers for the two project managers and call them. They are both in the building and will be in the conference room shortly.

I greet the two employees. We sit at one end of the conference table while Maggie and Fiona read through the mail that came in last Saturday. I explain to the two project managers that Northman Enterprises is going to offer day care to its employees.

I tell them what I can about the new venture. All NE employees will have use of the center regardless of their position, or location in another building. An entire section of this building will be reallocated for this purpose.

We need a project manager that can prepare the space with the necessary items. This will include finding certified day care workers (I will have final say on whether or not they're hired), and decorating the space. The person will also need to create an emergency contact system for the workers to use should something happen.

Both show interest in taking the project. Lindsey and John both will look over the space and share with me their ideas for how it could be used. They will also tell me their plans for setting up management of the center.

While I talk I "hear" what these two are thinking. John knows that he can do the job well; he could create the best center in the country. But he wonders if I'll give Lindsey the job because she is one of the only two female project managers that work for the company. Lindsey feels confident that she can create a state of the art center that any parent would want their child to attend and all children would love. But, Lindsey remembers how she used to be a bitch to me and thinks that I might give it to John for that reason.

My talk with the employees is near an end. I tell them, "A bonus will be given to whoever is chosen to complete this project." I add, "When you present there will be a person at each seat." I motion to the table, "there will be some parents and guardians present; I wish to get their opinion before making a decision." They both perk up with this information. I say to them, "good luck."

I return to my office and call Eloise Reynold. I tell her that we will soon be moving to the Bon Temps farmhouse and that she and her children have a place on the premises if she is interested in living on site. Eloise is interested, but has to think about it first. I tell her that Eric will want to speak with her about expectations while living on our property; maybe that will help her decide. She agrees to speak with him.

I read through a few more personnel files, those belonging to the people that I will meet tomorrow. Next, I make a list of some people that I know have children, I will ask some of them to come and offer input on the proposed day care center.

Maggie knocks on the door and asks if there is anything particular that I want for lunch. I tell her a salad or salad wrap with some meat would be good. Maggie leaves for the lunch run, she will return in about thirty minutes.

I call the parents and guardians on my list. I explain that attendance is not mandatory, I am looking for volunteers. Each person I speak with volunteers.

I hear a knock on Eric's office door followed by Maggie's voice. "You haven't left that office once since we got here. Why don't you join us in the conference room for lunch?" Then, a few seconds later Maggie's head pops into my open doorway, "Would you like me to hand you the salad here or in the conference room?"

I stand up and start heading toward the door, "Conference room. Besides, I want to look at some of the mail next. It's been a few days since I've looked at and responded to any."

Patty, Leona and Cleander join us for lunch in the conference room. I didn't see Leona or Cleander in the conference room earlier so either they sat in Eric's office with Patty or they were down the hall. Patty comments on the boxes of mail. "Geez, how long has it been since you checked your mail?"

Maggie chuckles as she points to the boxes, "Those are from the fans." She informs me, "I've gone through all of Saturday's mail. Today's should be here in a while."

Patty chokes, "That is only part of her mail?"

I tell her, "Yeah. Maggie doesn't let me read it until she knows what it says. I only get to read the good stuff."

Patty shakes her head in amazement as we sit to eat. Our conversation is light. I ask Maggie what it's like outside. She tells me that it is hot again, but not nearly as bad as it was before the unexpected rain.

The conference room phone rings. Alcide asks me, "Who is with you right now?"

I reply, "Patty and her two shadows; and my own two shadows."

Alcide confirms the identities of our shadows and then inquires, "Anybody else nearby or within earshot?"

"No." I tell him, "There isn't anyone else on this floor."

"Alright... Can you put this on speaker?" He tells me, "The guards should know what is going on."

I say, "Yeah, just a minute." I turn toward the table and tell them, "Alcide wants me to put this on speaker." I push the speaker button and hang up the handset. "Okay."

Alcide begins, "First you should know that I have left a message with Northman. We need a vampire here as soon as possible; we need to glamour a human." We all sit up and stare at the phone.

I ask, "Who needs to be glamoured?"

Alcide says, "Your mailman. You won't be getting as much mail today Sookie."

Cleander demands, "What happened?"

Alcide tells us, "The mailman placed a large container of mail next to the security booth." He explains that one of the guards on duty inspects the mail for anything dangerous before it gets moved on; "Only, today... with that first box... I ain't seen nothing like it."

We are all on the edge of our seats. I ask, "Like what?"

"The ground under the box opened up and swallowed it." Alcide then tells us, "Then the ground shook. I have seen some impressive things, but never that. Your mailman is having a panic attack. He turned back with the next box in his arms just in time to see the whole thing happen."

Fiona says, "The land swallowed her mail?"

Alcide says, "Yes. And, we believe, detonated it too; the result was that of a Type 76, IED."

Fiona tells him, "I'll inform George."

Well this is a sobering revelation. At least no one was hurt. I guess the fairy spell is doing its' work. The land fought for me and I wasn't even there. The conversation ends and I hang up.

We finish eating and resume working. Patty returns to the office to get some work done. I read through some of the mail and respond to about a dozen pieces of fan mail.

After responding to fan mail, I spend a couple of hours interviewing more employees. Nothing raises a red flag.

It's getting late. We all head back to the Shreveport house.

Back at the house I say to Patty, "What's frustrating you?" She gives me a queer look. I explain, "I can block your thoughts when I try but I can't block emotions."

Patty says, "Work. It's hard doing so much from an office. There are many things for which I like to speak to a vendor in person; very often to see or get a sample of a product to be used. Doing on the computer and over the phone what I would normally do in person makes me nervous; I hope the quality isn't shit."

Cleander is still with us and he responds, "Most of the people you consulted with have a history with the company; that in itself bodes well. We will, however, find a way for you to check on such items and services personally before the event."

Maggie hands me my phone as it's ringing. It says that Claude is calling. I answer the phone, "Hello Claude. Thank you for coming over yesterday." My tone implies that I am thanking him for something else; not everyone needs to know about the scroll.

He does not respond with a "hello" of his own or even a "thank you." Nope, he is typical Claude. He asks, "The human woman...?"

I offer, "You mean Patty? What about her?"

Claude says to me, "I need to know who her master is. She smells of Pam but something about Eric made me think it could be him."

"Why do you need to know?" It's not like he is going to ask his permission to date her.

In a serious tone he says, "If you must know I require permission to ask her out on a date."

I pull the phone from my ear for a moment and stare at it. What the hell? "Since when did you start liking women?"

Claude laughs, "I want to talk to her about something, but I need her master's permission first."

I furrow my brows, "You are going to take her out on a date to talk to her?"

Claude replies, "Yes. Do I need to call Fangtasia tonight and ask Northman if he is his descendant's Master? Or, are you going to tell me?"

I shake my head, "It's Eric."

Claude answers, "Thank you." Well, this is a first.

I hang up my end of the phone once I realize that Claude has hung up, strange.

I turn to Fiona and ask her if we can speak in private. Since the kitchen is an open space right near the living room and dining room, none of those three locations are good. Eric is dead in bed. That leaves Patty's room, the guest bathroom, or the garage. While I contemplate where to go, Patty goes into her room.

She calls for me to come in when I knock on the open door. "Hey, I want to ask Fiona something, but you might need the information too. Can we come in?"

She replies, "Sure."

I turn to Fiona, "I know that you haven't been here long but you have a lot of contacts around here... Would you know anyone that could recommend a doctor?"

Fiona smiles, "Yes." Then she opens the door and calls Maggie to join us. Fiona says, "Maggie has been working on a list for you." Maggie doesn't know what Fiona is talking about. The wolf says, "The doctor list."

"Oh." Maggie tells me, "I figured you might like some help there. You have been quite busy and a lot has happened lately; I didn't think you'd put much thought into it. Fiona got a good number of names from her fellow wolves and I looked into each one. I can share with you what I found so far."

Maggie tells us what she has learned about potential doctors. There are three that she has yet to look into. Of the ones that she has looked into, one stands out. Dr. Virginia Cox has many credentials, and has lots of high praise from her clients. Most of the doctors that she looked into are well liked, but Dr. Cox is known for her easy going and sometimes funny bedside manner.

I thank Maggie for her foresight and doing so much work; she says that she just did what she gets paid for. I tell her that I'd like to contact Dr. Cox to set up a visit. Maggie nods her head, she isn't surprised. She tells me that she can make the call. Dr. Cox has some late hours but none that last past dark at this time of the year; Maggie is certain that she can negotiate a special time for the visit. As she says this I realize what she is thinking, Eric will want to come so that he can meet the doctor too. I have no doubt that she is right.

I turn to Patty. Before I can say a thing she says to me, "Eric must have told you that I haven't gotten back to him on whether or not I have found a doctor... I had forgotten about it until the note this morning..."

I interrupt, "I just wasn't sure if you had found someone or not and I know that Eric will not let something like this go. So I figured there would be no harm in you getting the same information as me."

Patty says, "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Maggie asks, "Anyone I mentioned sound promising to you? I have a few other names that I can look into for you."

Patty shakes her head. "Thank you Maggie. I agree with Sookie, Dr. Cox sounds to be the best, if you can give me her information I'll make an appointment."

Maggie replies, "No need. Just tell me what evenings you have to work an event. I'll be making the call for Sookie anyway; I can book you both."

I see the change in Patty's body position. Her natural reaction is to rebuff her. But, she doesn't. She nods her head as if agreeing with an internal dialogue and then says, "Thank you, Maggie."

We watch the news while Leona starts to cook dinner. The oil spill in the Gulf is causing much controversy. Not much surprise there. Heavy rains have caused Cumberland River to overflow. The resulting flood in Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee is to blame for at least twenty eight deaths.

One evacuee is interviewed about his experience. The man is horrified. Rescuers pulled him into a small boat. As they did, they could hear someone screaming in pain. They moved as quickly as they could and eventually they saw a writhing body, smoking as if on fire; it was a vampire. The rescuers put blankets over the vampire and pulled it into the boat. When the interviewee is asked about the identity of the vampire the man responds, "Ma'am that vampire was so burnt I couldn't tell you if it was a male or a female. I'll be mighty surprised if it rises tonight." He shivers.

The news anchor reveals that more information on the volcano in Iceland will be coming in the next hour. We miss most of the international news while we eat dinner at the table.

The ham is a brand that I've only eaten for a holiday dinner; it's expensive and it is so good. Leona cooked potatoes and even made red-eye gravy. Her gravy doesn't taste like most but it is still really good.

We discuss future meals. I mention that we should have left overs tomorrow, there is plenty left from yesterday's dinner. Also, I forgot to even take out the hot-dogs. Those at least, I can put in the freezer along with the buns. The other stuff we should eat up. Patty suggests that we have the left overs for lunch since all that we need to do is heat some items; she would like to cook tomorrow if no one objects; sounds good to me.

Maggie tells Patty to write up a list of any ingredients needed and she will go get them. Patty hadn't thought about who would do the food shopping; and she is momentarily silent. Maggie tells her not to worry about it; she does the food shopping no matter who creates the list.

Patty thinks for a moment, "Maybe I should wait until Wednesday to cook. We can have the hotdogs tomorrow night." We look at her funny. Patty explains, "If I could I would head over to the store myself and get the stuff tonight so that I could start on some things. I don't wish to be rude by handing a list and saying, "Get it to me tonight." I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do."

Maggie replies, "I'm good at multitasking. Get me the list and you will have what you need, tonight."

When we finish eating, Cleander starts the clean up. He says he can contribute in some way and tonight, this is his way. I pick up my plate, but he takes it from me and tells me that he will take care of it. I shake my head and return to the living room to see what is on.

I flip the channels; the movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula" plays on one channel, "Queen of the Damned" on another, next I find "A Werewolf in London." I turn to one of the prime channels. "The Vampire Diaries" is coming on. Next. There is a commercial for an upcoming vampire series. I keep looking. People are becoming obsessed with the supernatural, even the fictional ones. I settle on "Bones."

Once I put the remote down I notice that we are only missing Cleander, Patty and Maggie. Maggie left for the store. Patty is helping to clean up and Cleander is not complaining.

At the end of the hour Maggie walks into the living room. Patty is still in the kitchen with Cleander. She is pulling out the ingredients that she will need. Cleander is helping.

Not much of interest is on. I leave it on a basketball game, "Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks." I'm not really into it but it's better than anything else I can find.

Fiona, Leona and I occasionally share a look. I can't make out what they are saying, but I can hear Cleander's and Patty's voices. Sometimes the sound of their laughter carries into the living room. I note the time, Eric will be up soon.

I get up to ready the room for him in case he wants to come out before the sun is fully down. Maggie and Fiona join me in closing up the windows. Patty calls from the kitchen that she's taken care of the window there. I sneak into the kitchen and pull out a blood for Eric. While it's heating I feel the positive emotions flowing between the two.

Patty confesses to Cleander, "I let you do the dicing because it takes me forever."

Cleander smiles, "Then let me show you how it's done."

I walk out of the kitchen with a warm blood as Cleander begins to teach Patty the technique that chefs use to dice produce. I take the bottle into the bedroom. I sit on the bed for a moment before Eric moves.

"Dinner in bed... Thank you." He takes the bottle, kisses me and then sips his drink. "So how was your day today, my dear?"

I tell him all that happened. I tell him about the package bomb that the earth swallowed up. I also tell him about the phone call from Claude. Eric believes that Claude wishes some form of payment; he was under no obligation to rededicate the scroll that Fintan had created. I talk about a few other things, including Eloise while he dresses for the night. I leave the room so that he can make some calls in private.

While I am in the Living Room, Maggie tells me that she was able to book an appointment at night. The time and date are set in the cell phone calendar.

Eric comes out to greet us. "Do I smell garlic?" He turns and heads for the kitchen with an amused expression. I hear him say, "You know that garlic is not an effective repellent; particularly for the more mature vampire."

I hear Patty's response, "I talked to Pam once about it. She said that once in a while is fine. If it bothers you I'll think of something else."

Pam is up and walking to stand next to Eric. "She is looking forward to the foul smelling meal." She says to Eric, "I can handle it if you can." Then she turns to Patty, "I will not be feeding from you tonight."

Patty starts, "Oh, no. I haven't had any garlic tonight. I'm just making a scampi butter now so that all I have to do is let it melt on the chicken tomorrow." She adds, "And I have made enough so that extra will be in the freezer in sealed bags. I won't have to stink up the kitchen to make it again before we want to use it... Is that alright?"

Eric says to Patty, "That is acceptable. Why don't you go feed Pam? We will need to discuss some things when you are finished."

I hear the kitchen sink run for several seconds. After it shuts off, Patty and Pam enter Patty's room for feeding. Next, I hear drawers and cabinets opening and closing while the two males speak. Then, Eric returns to the Living Room. He says to us, "Compton is glamouring the postman. The guards are digging up the earth to find pieces of the bomb; we'd like to visit the person responsible." The end of the last sentence is menacing, if the person gets caught, they ain't gonna like what happens next.

Next Eric reminds us that tomorrow is the full moon. We will have heavier than normal vampire security when we leave the house tomorrow evening. The shifters will be out for the night and into Wednesday morning. A few shifters in animal form will be nearby. To supplement them, there will be five humans guarding the house Wednesday until one o'clock. Our regular shifter guards will be back by then. We are to stay inside until the regular shifter guards return.

Patty and Pam rejoin us and Eric quickly gives a recap of what was just said. He then updates us with some other information; some out of town vampires will be in the area for the foreseeable future. Their homes or resting places are flooded, and while vampires cannot drown their daytime dead bodies are at the mercy of the tides that reach them and can pull them into the sunlight.

Eric also mentions de Castro. He urges us to be careful of what we say while we are away from the house or in our private office. De Castro will use any information he can get. It disturbs him that the King seems to have an interest in Patty. Next he says to Patty, "He is not the only person to show interest in you."

Eric tells us about his chat with Claude. "Sookie's cousin contacted me in regards to you. He could tell that you had some fairy blood and that caught his interest."

Patty asks, "He knows about fairies? How could he tell?"

I inform her, "He is a fairy."

Patty's head snaps back, "I figured him to be "Elton John" fairy; not "allergic to lemons and magical" fairy." She is weary, "What does he want?"

I try to calm her fears, "I don't know but Claude isn't evil. Don't get me wrong; he is not a big fan of humans. But he doesn't go around killing them."

Eric informs us, "He asked me for permission to be with you, Patty. As he did a great favor for the family recently I have not denied the request. However, I did tell him that I will allow you to make the decision."

Cleander is tense; he can sense that it is not something that he will like to hear. Patty asks, "What decision? What do you mean when you say that he wants permission to be with me?"

Maggie, Fiona, Leona and Cleander all move to leave. Patty instinctively reaches for Cleander so he stays next to her. The others leave the room. Eric explains, "Claude would like to negotiate with you, in the hopes that you might give him a child."

Yep, Cleander is pissed. I'm shocked, Patty looks near comatose. I'm the first to speak. "But he doesn't even like women!"

Eric nods his head, "True, but he wants a child and there are no more fairy females in the area. Patty at least has some fairy."

Patty is still in silent shock. Cleander speaks, "Claude is a clod. Surely he realizes that Patty was raised as a human."

"I agree." I say, "It may be normal for a lot of supernaturals to mate with anyone that can produce a child with them, but not humans... well, not for the purpose of producing a child. And even fewer humans would even think about doing something like that with someone that they just met." I place my arms on my hips, "What the hell is he thinking? That fairy is far too self-centered to be a parent; or was he going to have Patty be a single mother or let someone else raise the child?"

Eric says to Patty, "The negotiations would include such information. He has already said that he would prefer you use artificial insemination, but will inseminate you the old fashion way if you insist. It is your choice to negotiate or not. If you choose to negotiate, I will speak for you."

"Hell no," Patty finds her voice, "I'm not having a child with some guy just because he's cute. I met the guy just last night. And based on those few hours alone I can tell you that his personality blows... He's got a hell of a lot of nerve."

Eric says to her, "I expected as much; I will inform him of your answer." The vampire then says, "We will be leaving after my call." He walks away and pulls out his cell phone.

We look at each other wondering what we will be doing. Pam seems to know, but she's not telling.

About twenty minutes later we are in Bossier City. Eric, Pam, Patty and I are in my car. Two other cars follow. We pull into a parking lot. We are at a place called, Glo Puttz.

I look at the clock, it's eleven thirty. I say, "Eric?"

Eric says, "It is open for us."

Patty and I look at each other. Patty says what we are both thinking, "Miniature Golf? Really?"

Pam informs us, "The master wishes to engage in bonding activities. Miniature Golf was one of Dear Abby's suggestions."

Eric adds, "We are fortunate that this course has ample lighting. Most are outside and run only when the sun is up. Though I am led to believe that the lighting will not be normal; everything glows."

We walk into the building after the guards check it out. The guards walk back outside and man the exits while Eric greets the person lucky enough to be staying on tonight for a couple of hours past closing. We each choose a club and a ball.

To decide who goes first, Patty and I start the old game people sometimes still do with a baseball bat. We explain to the vampires how it works. Patty puts her hand near the base of the club, then Eric, then Pam, we all go until Eric's hand is on top, Of course.

Eric says, "In baseball there are but two teams. How will we decide who goes after me?"

Patty says, "Since a vampire won; I say vampires first; Then the humans; winner's wife first."

I agree, "I think that's a great idea. Besides, with y'all's eyesight and hand eye coordination, we don't stand a chance against you. But, we can compete against each other."

Pam smirks, "I would love the opportunity to beat my master at a game. I like this Vampire versus Vampire, human against human."

That is what we do. As expected, the vampires do extraordinarily well. Pam complains near the beginning that the club is not right and makes par for the first few holes. Eric is under par for every hole. Both end the game under par, though Eric's score is better. Patty and I take much longer at each hole than our vampires do. Patty gets in the first few holes with a stroke or two over par, the rest are at or under par. I'm not so good. When I get a hole with just two strokes above par I am happy. My game improves a bit after Eric comes behind me and helps me with my stroke. By the end of the game, Patty is seven strokes above par. I'm too many strokes above par to bother counting.

A wave of sadness hits Patty. I look at her with concern as does Pam. Eric feels my concern and sees where I am looking. The burst of sadness is gone nearly as soon as it comes. Pam asks, "What just happened? You appeared to be having a pleasant time."

Patty says, "I am. It's just all of this reminds me of when I was little; Dad sometimes took us kids out to play Miniature Golf."

Eric hugs her, "You miss your family. Tell me, about a time when you went out to play Miniature Golf."

"They were all pretty much the same." Eric silently prods her to continue. She does, "Dad, Liam and I were always on one team. Erik, Joel and Alice were on the other team." Patty grins, "We played dirty. We didn't cheat per se, but we pulled pranks on each other all the time. It became more of a competition to see who could come up with the best distraction than it was to see who had the best Put-Put score."

Pam inquires, "Your mother did not join?"

Patty tells her, "No. Mom spent a lot more time with us than Dad did. She was a stay at home mother and was home whenever we needed her. Mom took us to every recital, every performance, every game; she hosted kids' parties... She did a lot of it without Dad there to help because he was away. Our Put-Put days were normally her "Mommy Free" days."

Eric wonders, "Did your family not take part in activities with both parents?"

Patty says, "As much as we could. They took us to probably every theme park in California at least once. I can't tell you how many times we went to Sea World. Our favorite time together was probably at Fiesta Island." She explains, "It's a manmade island in Mission Bay. Mom would make some tapas. We'd bring the dog, swim, play Frisbee, at night we'd have a bon fire... but we did stop doing that."

I ask her, "What are tapas?"

Patty says, "They're snacks. Or at least, that is what I think it means. My Gran, Mom's mother, had a lot of recipes for bite size snacks. They were passed down to her. I haven't made any of them myself, but the recipes are mine now. Tapas can be meat, vegetable, nearly anything as far as I can tell. But they're always small."

Pam says, "Perhaps you can speak with Leona, I'm sure she knows about tapas. Spain is well known for them."

Eric asks about me, and what my family did together. I tell them, "Daddy had two jobs so he wasn't off much. We tried going to a Miniature Golf a couple of times but I hated it, the kids from school that hated me were there and I didn't like being around their thoughts. We tried an amusement park once; at first I loved it and had a great time; there was so much to see." I see that the others are waiting for more. I tell them, "I didn't hear the ugly thoughts of my classmates, but I was surrounded by people in every direction. I didn't know how to block their thoughts; I thought my head was going to explode by the end of the day. We went to the beach a few times and had a picnic. It was alright, but we went early and then left when people started coming so that I didn't start acting out."

Eric kisses my temple, "I wish you had more laughter as a child."

I hug him, "Thank you, Eric."

We play some of the arcade games next. Eric and Pam each tell us about games that they used to play. Eric's games were designed to prepare him to hunt and fight when he was old enough; there was a lot of sword play. Pam sometimes played hide and seek, sometimes she played something called Paille-maille. Her parents did not approved of ladies playing such games, but she found them more fascinating than the gossip of the other courtiers.

We leave Glo Puttz two hours after arriving. We are in good spirits; this was fun.

Patty, Pam and I make our way into the house. Leona, Maggie and Fiona join us but Eric and Cleander remain outside. Patty excuses herself to get ready for bed. I take a drink of water. Several minutes pass. I too get ready for bed and then meet Patty in the kitchen when I return for more water. Patty says, "He hasn't come in yet?"

Not two seconds after Patty asks, Eric walks in. Patty looks at him, "I wanted to say thank you; it was fun... I'll say good night now and leave you two alone."

Eric stops her with a motion of his arm, "Not yet. I would like to do something with you ladies again, on Sunday perhaps. What do you ladies think?"

Pam adds, "Dear Abby says that it is healthy for a family to spend time together and the best way to do that is to make it a habit."

I tease, "Northman Family Day every Sunday?"

Eric grins, "I like the sound of that, yes. Do you ladies have any objections?"

I hug him, "Not me. I think it's incredibly sweet."

Patty is floored, "Uh... no. Sounds like... fun."

Eric says, "Very well. Sunday nights; the first four hours after sundown will be for us. You ladies will be able to get to sleep while it is still dark and I will still be able to accomplish some tasks." Eric says, "Now that we have discussed a family day, I have a more serious question for the both of you." He looks at each of us and then continues, "I have yet to hear that either of you has an appointment with a doctor and in a letter written to you I asked that you take some time out during the day to pursue the matter. I want an update."

I dig out my phone and pull up the calendar. I tell him, "Maggie did a lot of research and found someone that we think we'll like." I show him the calendar appointment, "we both have appointments."

He looks at the calendar screen, "Very well. I will add the date to my calendar as well; I will be coming with you. Your doctor is a female, yes?"

We chuckle. Patty and I nod and say, "Yes."

Eric says, "Good, as it should be." He says to me, "I'll meet you in a couple of minutes. I wish to speak with Patty further." Oh shit, is he going to do the sex talk now? He asks, "Is there a problem, Sookie?"

I whisper to him, "You're not going to embarrass her with a sex talk are you?"

Eric turns his head, "Soon, but not tonight."

Maggie and Fiona get the sofa bed ready. Leona and Pam sit in the living room and wait to go to bed in Patty's room. I have no doubt that they can all hear what is being said. I wonder if they tune it out or if they eaves drop. Come to think of it I hope they tune it out... I'd hate to think of the things that they have heard from my bedroom if they're listening.

I turn in for the night and slip into bed. Eric comes in shortly after I am under the covers. I ask him, "Everything okay?"

He sits on the edge of the bed, "Yes. She has had another proposition. As I believed that she might be interested, I decided to give her some semblance of privacy." He sees the question on my face. "Cleander would like to ask her out on an official date, just the two of them. She has expressed interest. I told her what my rules are should she go out with him and what the consequences will be if she breaks or attempts to break a rule."

I want to know, "How did she respond?"

Eric grins, "Quite well, overall."

I say to him, "You're really excited about having a family night."

Eric responds, "Yes. It will help us not only to bond with Patty but it will help us build and maintain a bond with our child."

I sit up, "You really think we'll have a child?"

"I do." Eric tells me, "I've been doing some research. As you know, I cannot produce sperm. Scientists can recreate many body parts now using stem cells, including sperm. However, I have no viable stem cells. This also rules out cloning. Not that you should give birth to my clone. It is looking more and more like the best option will be to use a sperm donor. We will need to address this with your doctor when we see her."

My hand moves to rest on his arm, "Eric...I... I don't know if I could do that, carry another man's child? To be honest, I'm shocked you'd even think of such a thing."

He turns his body to face me better. "Sookie, the sperm may come from someone else, but the child will never belong to another man. And I will care for our child because that is exactly what it will be; ours."

I nod my head and smile. "I'll have to think about it."

Eric responds, "I understand. I ask that you apprise me of any concerns you have. Yes or no, your decision needs to be made with all information available."

"I need some time to process." I look at him still sitting on the bed, "Are you going back out?"

"I need to handle some business." Then he adds, "It will not take me long."

"You know," I pout "It's been forty eight hours and you haven't eaten a real meal."

Eric raises a brow, "Your desire is only to feed me?" He grins, "I think you desire more than that."

I bat my eyes, "Well you do like to multitask and you do it so well."

He states, "You are tired."

I answer, "Not too tired for you." I ask it sounds more like a plea. "Please? Before you go..."

"Well I can't say no to that." Eric smiles like the cat that ate the canary. I do too.

So what do you think...? Is a sperm donor in Sookie and Eric's future? Is Patty finally going to go out with Cleander? Will Jason become a full panther tomorrow?

Leontophone –Not much information is given about this creature aside from the scraps that make it into this chapter.

Mission Bay –Really is in California, I went to Fiesta Island several times growing up. If you're on the correct side of the island you can see Sea World.

Paille-maille- is said to be a precursor to Croquet.

There have been a couple of times while writing this story that I had to pore over previous chapters because I forgot someone's name! Yes, even though I wrote it I forgot the name. Like when Sookie meets up with her old classmate Lindsey St. Pierre; by the time I wrote the part where Lindsey walks in to be interviewed by her boss I had forgotten what name I had given her when she appeared on a TV interview. Such incidents have caused me to create a chart; it's much easier for me to keep track this way.

In the chart, you will find the names of (almost) every character created by me. You might notice that I had fun with some names. If Patty ever married Tim and took his surname as hers, she would have become Patricia Mavis Sorensen (PMS). I couldn't help myself. My initials are TMS, and very nearly were PMS, as Patricia was my parent's second choice. I ended up with their 3rd choice; my mother saved me because she hated the nickname Patty.

Sheila Blige almost became Anna Recksick. (Anorexic)

I didn't give the Pastor a name in chapter 24, but he does have one; it's near the bottom of the list. His parents were cruel when they named him. LOL

I would post the chart here, but I can't get it to look right now matter which format it is saved as. If you would like to take a look, let me know and I'll send it to you. Bet you can't guess how many names are on the list so far...