GUYS, IT'S NOT MY INTENTION TO ONLY GET YOU CHAPTERS EVERY TWO WEEKS! REALLY, I CANT NOT FIND THE TIME DUE TO WORK, AND THIS WEEKEND THE HUBS WAS SICK AS A DOG. SO EXCUSES OUT OF THE WAY….

Chapter 25 - Thanksgiving

(Eric POV)

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA!"

Ugh. It was 7:32am, and I had been at the club all night –

"WHERE THE SKY'S ARE SO BLOOOOOO!"

-and hadn't crawled back into bed until about 4am.

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA!"

I really, really didn't need Sookie singing at the top of her lungs right then.

"LORD, I'M COMING HOME TO YOOOO!"

"Sookie!" I screamed weakly, still half asleep.

"DUM DUM DUM, DA DUM DUM DUM, DUM DUM DUM, DADADADADA!"

"Sookie!" I screamed a little louder. Nothing. God, I had to get up. I threw the cover off, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and groaned like an old man while getting my ass off the bed. I walked like a zombie to the other room. The blinds and curtains were all open, and a blinding autumn light was streaming in through the windows.

I quickly put my arm over my eyes like a vampire being burned by the sun.

"IN BIRMINGHAM THEY LOVE THE GOVERNOR… OOO OOO OOO!"

I slowly lowered my arms, willing my eyes to open.

"NOW WE ALL DID WHAT WE COULD DO! OOO OOO OOO!"

She was slowly coming into focus.

"NOW WATERGATE DOES NOT BOTHER ME! DOES YOUR CONSCIENCE BOTHER YOU!"

Her back was to me.

"TELL THE TRUTH!"

She was barefoot, her hair piled on her head; wearing a pair of white cotton panties, a white tank top with no bra, and her black kitchen apron with red cherries on it.

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA!"

It may have been painfully early, and Sookie, although a spirited singer, wasn't exactly what you'd call 'good,' –

"WHERE THE SKY'S ARE SO BLOOOOOO!"

-but how could I possibly be annoyed when she was cooking in her underwear and shaking her ass like the true Southern girl she was?

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA!"

I flew to her with speed and grabbed her around the waist in time to sing…

"LORD, I'M COMING HOME TO YOOOO!" while I spun her around in the air.

She was laughing, her head falling back as I sang "DUM DUM DUM, DA DUM DUM DUM, DUM DUM DUM, DADADADADA!" to her.

When the chorus was done, I set us down, and she reached for the remote to turn down the music.

"Just how long were you watching me?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"Long enough to be charmed and not annoyed," I said as I kissed her cheek. I took a look around the kitchen. It was covered with cans, flour, sugar, pots and pans. "It looks like an episode of Iron Chef in here!"

"Well, I begged and begged Nial and Lafayette to let me cook something, and they said I could do dessert. And I said that's fine but Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without Grandma's biscuits. And I said if I'm making biscuits anyway, I might as well make corn bread too. So before I knew it, I kind cooked myself into a hole."

"So exactly how much are you making today?"

"Buttermilk biscuits, cheese-n-chive corn bread, pumpkin soufflé, and pecan rum pie."

"And what time do we have to be there?"

"6pm."

"That explains the 7:30 in the morning thing, but not Lynyrd Skynyrd."

"Grandma and I always cooked big meals with music blaring… just natural," her accent pierced the air sharply whenever she spoke of her Grandmother. All I could do was smile.

"Fair enough lover, fair enough. If you give me coffee and promise me a nap later, I'd love to help out."

"I can do both. Go put on a shirt."

"Why?"

"Because if you think I can make biscuits without burning them staring at your perfect damn body, you'd be plum wrong. Now go on!"

"Yes ma'am," I said as I went to the bedroom to grab a shirt.

She was sitting at the counter with two cups of coffee when I got back. The phone rang. It was Tara and JB. They were staying in Connecticut for Thanksgiving and to help with the wedding details. Sookie talked for a bit, wished them a Happy Turkey Day, and hung up. We finished our coffee in a happy silence. I realized this was our first holiday season together. It was our first Thanksgiving to make rituals; it would be our first Christmas tree… our first kiss on New Years. It was a thrilling prospect and one I never thought I wanted. Holiday memories of my past were sad things. Being lonely, lamely ordering in Chinese food with Pam, and watching the parade on TV. This would be my first time decorating, celebrating, and cooking. I was going to relish every second.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Lead me to the flour."

The next hours were spent kneading, measuring, and baking, and it was wonderful. We were a pair of dough and pumpkin puree covered messes by the time we were done. We stepped into a shower together, and napped together, too tired to even attempt anything to spite our naked, wet bodies rubbing against each other.

Two hours later it was time to get ready. Well it was for her anyway. I slept for another half hour. When I got up and found Sookie, she was in the closet in a pair of nude stockings with a seam up the back, and nude lace panties and bra. Her hair was in perfectly coiffed curls resting over one shoulder, and I could see the pearls around her neck. She was stepping into a pair of leather high heeled Mary Jane's, and she was fucking delectable. She looked like my pin-up once again, and I was damning Nial and Lafayette in my head. As she slowly turned around, a sly smile spread across her lips.

"See something you like?" she asked like the saucy little minx she was.

"Sookie," I warned as she slowly started walking toward me, one foot crossing the other like some goddamned stripper, "you keep this up, and those perfect curls are going to be smashed against the wall."

"Later?" she asked hopefully.

I moaned loudly, "Later the curls, stockings, and lingerie are getting demolished. Promise."

She shuddered as her jaw dropped. Touché. "Now lover," I whispered into her ear, "can I help you with your dress, or are you planning on leaving the house like that? Not that I'm complaining mind you."

"Umm…"

"Was that a yes?"

"You're evil Mr. Northman."

"No more evil than you, you little tease. Now what dress am I covering that sinful body with?"

She walked back to her part of the closet as I shamelessly ogled her backside. She pulled a vintage dress that I recognized as one of her Grandmother's and pulled it off the hanger. I walked to her, took the dress from her, and unzipped it. I let her slip in and pulled it up her body. I pulled up the zipper, amazed at how the simple act of dressing her was so extraordinarily erotic.

"Thank you," she whispered somewhat breathlessly. She felt it too. I only hoped we made it through the meal without excusing ourselves for a quickie in the bathroom.

She turned around and went on her toes, she was almost tall enough in the shoes, and kissed me on the lips – sweetly, lovingly. I sighed when she broke away.

"Ok, you need to put some clothes on, and I need to put on my face."

"Right. Clothes."

She smiled and walked away, the fabric of her dress swishing as she went. It was 5:30 by the time were in the elevator bags of goodies in tow. We jumped in a cab and made our way to dinner, the electricity crackling around us. It was all I could do to not have the cabbie turn around. Her chest rose with every breath, the pearls shining around her neck, her glossy lips were calling, and her beautifully piled curls were begging to be let loose.

"That'll be 10 even," said the cabbie, breaking me from my unabashed staring. Too late now, I thought. I handed him $15 and stepped out of the cab, running around the other side to help Sookie out as well. We grabbed our bags and made it up to Nial's. We were the first ones there, but that was planned. Sookie needed to confer with the chef before the other guests arrived.

Lafayette was wearing a brown velvet jacket with a gold pocket square… where on earth did one get a gold pocket square, I thought. Nial looked elegant as always in a cashmere sweater and perfectly tailored slacks. They both fawned over how wonderful Sookie looked, and she did, of course. She made her way to the kitchen, and by the time she came back, the door buzzer was getting a workout.

Pam came along with Amelia. I had no idea if this was a friendly invite or something more, but it surprised me nonetheless. Various other people I recognized but didn't know piled in as well. This wasn't the first year that Pam and I came to Nial and Lafayette's Thanksgiving, but it was the first time it felt like we belonged. It was because of Sookie, I knew that, and the surge of pride didn't escape me.

Sookie and I kept a casual eye on Pam and Amelia. They seemed comfortable around each other. More like great friends than anything else. But when it came time to go around the table and say what we were thankful, Amelia's admissions of "new and amazing relationships" tipped us off. Not only had Sookie managed to wrangle me into submission, more miraculously, she had found a way to tame the great and terrible Pam as well, even if it was inadvertent. I couldn't even tell you how she wove her magic, but everything in my life – everything – had been made better by her.

Maybe it was the holidays getting to me. Maybe it was just the overwhelming sense of peace I felt recently, but I couldn't escape the fact that I was changed man. A man who, although was happy himself, was more worried about other people's happiness now. A man who imagined a future with puppies and kids and toys in the living room and family vacations to the beach. A man who could never go back to be a lonely empty shell.

It was with these images and thoughts twirling around my head and heart that made me bold. It was with a certain amount of clarity and love that made me say it. One of Nial's dearest friends had just said he was grateful for the amazing meal, for being around such wonderful and open hearted people, and for the best biscuits he had ever had in his life. He looked to me, and I looked to Sookie, and I said with every once of sincerity and hope, "I'm thankful that Sookie will be my wife."

There was an audible gasp followed by a deafening silence. I turned to look at Sookie; she was down the table, near the end so she could run back and forth to the kitchen when needed. She was sitting next to Lafayette whose left hand was on his heart, his right covering his mouth. She looked bewildered and shocked. She blinked three, four times. I got up, walked over to her, and like a man in some stupid Julia Roberts movie went to one knee.

"I didn't plan this, Sookie. Hell! I don't even have a ring for you yet. But…" I took her hand in mine, "I can't think of a single thing I'm more thankful for than you. I know we'll mess up a few times, probably more than a few times, but I want this more than anything. I want kids and a big old house, and I want toys on the floor, and I want crazy loud vacations at Disneyland, and I want more biscuit baking at 7:30am, and I want to see you in a white dress, and I want…" I stopped. I wanted so much I could have gone on forever.

Lafayette, put his hand on Sookie's shoulder. It seemed to have snapped her out of whatever haze she was in. She looked at him, then back down at me.

"Yes?" she said quietly, waveringly.

"What?" did she say yes? Really?

"Yes," she said more assured, louder.

"Again please," I pleaded almost breathlessly.

"YES!" she yelled. I jumped up, pulled her into my arms and twirled her around where we stood. The whole room erupted into whoops and applause.

"I think this calls for champagne!" said Nial when everyone had quieted down. He disappeared into the other room, and came back later with two magnums of champagne and a maid following with a tray of crystal flutes. We toasted and laughed, and Sookie and Lafayette even cried. Was I really that lucky? What had I done to deserve it all?

After rounds of hugs, kisses, and congratulations, we finally made our way home. I held her and kissed her all the way up the elevator, down the hall, and to our door. She led me to the bedroom.

"First thing tomorrow we'll go and get you any ring you want, I promise."

"Mhmm," she hummed as she unbuttoned my shirt.

"Anything you want, Sookie, it's yours."

She smiled as I unzipped her dress. "All I want right now is you."

She let the dress fall from her shoulders to a puddle on the floor, and she stepped out of it. As she undid her bra, I took off my shoes and socks.

"Where do you want to go? Tiffany's? Bulgari?"

"Eric?"

"Yes?"

"All I want to think about right now is my fiancé's lips on my body."

No more words. I took the heels off her feet. I pushed down her stockings, then hooked my thumbs into her panties, and pulled them from her body. Standing in front of me was my irresistible future wife. She was peaches and cream. I gently pushed her onto the bed and buried my face between her legs. In this life we had only known each other for a matter of months, but her scent and taste were more familiar to me than any other. I thanked whatever force it was that brought us back together again.

When she came, she cried out my name. It was such a spectacular sound that I made her come again before I entered her. Her body was soft and molded to mine. Her perfect small waist fit so perfectly between my hands. Her soft fleshy thighs rubbed so deliciously against mine. Her warm wet center sucked me in. She was mine, and now she would be forever, but then again, she had always been mine – the Universe had made sure of it.

(Sookie POV)

I fell asleep in the arms of my future husband. I was so at ease, so sure of it all. I felt a small tinge of pain that Gran wasn't here to see me to meet him. But something told me she was here. She always would be. And she would be here when our son broke his arm, or when we lost our daughter in a crowd. She would be here to see me walk down the aisle. I knew she would be.

We fell asleep sweaty and sticky and didn't care one bit.

I woke up hours later, startled out of sleep from a dream. Or was it a memory? It was just flashes really. Just random images, but they were awful and cold.

I was naked on a stone floor.

There were beat up helmets and weapons around me.

I was cold and scared.

I could hear a blood-curdling scream.

Eric was there, hovering over me, speaking, but I couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, I felt light and free, and drifted away.

"Are you ok? Sookie?"

"Just a dream… I think."

"Were you naked in a cold room?"

"Yes," and then I knew it wasn't a dream.

"Were you as scared as I was," he asked quietly, sadly.

"Very."

"Did you..." he stopped himself.

"Did I?"

"Sookie… did you die in my arms?"

I could hear the pain in his voice. Had I died? Is that why I felt free? Is that why I couldn't hear him? I didn't know. How could I?

A/N

Dun dun dun!

Ok, a bittersweet chappie no?

So… I need to pimp my blog because I would love it if you guys made me such a success that someone just HAD to give me a book deal ok? I really didn't want to pimp, it feels really really cheesy to me, but I need the numbers, and since I love you crazy people out there, and I know at least some of you love me back (right?), it was worth a shot.

It's a food blog. Those who don't know, I'm actually a trained chef but can't cook anymore due to a back injury. So I cook at home a lot, and for family, a lot. It has nothing to do with Fan Fic… yet. Yes, I said yet. I'm toying with a few ideas. But I hope you check it out, I really do.

www(dot)DuchessinBrooklyn(dot)blogspot(dot)com the link is also in my profile.

So you know what's next kiddies? DA VINCI!

The Rev button is crazy lonely. It misses the revs something awful. It would grant depraved and wonderful sexual favors to those who are kind enough to review. Yes, it's a whore. But it's also woman enough to admit it!