AN: Enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading! :)

Chapter 25

GPOV

"Do you feel that, my love?" I question softy as my Sookie grins against my chest, nodding lightly as she slowly awakens.

"Eric," she whispers, fluttering her eyelids open as she grins up to me. "Come on," she says then, jumping from the bed, apparently wide awake now as she proceeds to take firm hold of my hand and guides me to the upper floor of the house. "I can hardly believe he's back already," she muses, rushing to the front door before it's flung open before us.

"Lover," Eric greets, taking Sookie into his embrace, squeezing her tightly as our mixed elation floods the bonds between us.

"Oh, Eric, I'm so glad you're back!" she claims, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist as he proceeds to joyously twirl her around the room. "Wait, wait!" she shouts through delighted giggles. "You're naked," she observes, raising a brow at him as a low chuckle emanates from my child.

"How observant you are, Lover," he quips, earning an eye roll from our Sookie before a small frown pulls at her plush lips.

"And your covered in blood," she says softly, trailing a finger cautiously over his crimson stained chest. "Are you hurt?" she questions nervously as he lets out a soft sigh, setting our love to our feet as I step forward to examine him a bit more closely.

"Most the blood's not my own," he assures us as Sookie and I look him over carefully.

"But you are wounded, my child," I note, reaching up to a deep gash his side, earning a slight hiss from him as I realize the cut must have been made with a silver blade. I then note the burn marks at his wrists and ankles and can't help the deep frown that settles upon my face as I can only imagine the horrors the witches must have had in store for my beloved child.

"It's not so bad," he insists, sending me a warm smile that quells only a portion of my anxieties. "And it would have been much worse had you two not sent Callisto when you did," he informs us as I let out a small sigh of relief, thankful the insane nymph kept her word in not harming him.

"Come, my child, you need to feed and we must cleanse you of the blood of our adversaries," I explain, taking hold of his hand as Sookie takes his opposite hand into her own. We begin leading him to the subterranean level of the dwelling and my frown only deepens once I take in his wounds under the harsh lighting of our shared bath. I let out a defeated sigh, reaching into the stall to turn on the water before turning back to my loves.

"Oh, Eric," Sookie whispers shakily, tears welling in her eyes as she reaches out to trace the harsh, red welts covering one of Eric's wrists. "I'm so sorry," she tells, him, shaking her head as Eric pulls her into a tight embrace.

"Shh, don't cry, Lover, I'm fine, I promise," he whispers. "These wounds are nothing. They'll be healed in no time at all."

"But you only went with them to save me," she blurts out through her tears, her overwhelming guilt flooding through us both as Eric reaches up to cup her face gently, meeting her gaze with his own, solemn one.

"And I would do it again, most willingly, my Sookie," he tells her. "I would do anything to save you," he insists before turning his cobalt gaze my way. "And you as well, Master," he adds softly, reaching out to me before pulling the both of us into his tight embrace. "I love you both and would never want to go back to living without the two of you at my side," he whispers as the bond between us wells with an abundance of love and devotion.

"I don't know what I'd do without you both," Sookie agrees, looking back and forth between us with a soft smile.

"And you'll never have to find out, my love, for we are yours as you are ours," I answer her, pressing a soft kiss to her temple to bring a soft sigh from her. "Now come, our Eric is in dire need of a shower," I add, earning a smirk from him as Sookie snorts in amusement, nodding her agreement.

I lead the both of them beneath the steaming waters then, taking a moment to enjoy the radiating heat before soaping my hands with sudsy lathers. I reach up to Eric's broad shoulders then, starting to cleanse his pale flesh of the thick, crimson stains and my mind is automatically replaying the events of that fateful morning when my child granted me this same luxury, just before I turned from him, letting my grief envelope me wholly.

"Master," Eric whispers, reaching up to brush a crimson tear from my cheek. He meets my gaze and no further words are needed as his eyes clearly reflect the depth of his love for me as well as the depth of his forgiveness for my past, selfish actions.

EPOV

"Let's think of only happy things tonight," Sookie says then, wrapping her arm around her soulmate's waist with a knowing smile. "We have our Eric back and I say celebrations are in order," she adds, looking up to me with a vibrant smile that manages to send a wave of warmth through me.

"An excellent idea, my love," Godric agrees, pressing his lips to hers to kiss her softly. My Master pulls away then, looking up to me in concern and I already know what it is he fears as I shake my head at him.

"The coven was unable to go through with their plans," I assure him as both my loves let out mirroring sighs of relief.

"Thank God," Sookie whispers, turning to face me. "I can feel your hunger," she tells me as Godric nods his agreement. "Let me feed you," she adds, pulling her drenched locks aside to bare her throat to me in sweet offering.

"Your blood's not all I hunger for, Lover," I growl out, lifting her up to settle her against my chest as she smirks up at me, her lusts spiking between us.

"I'd be more than willing to satisfy all your hungers, Viking," she leans forward to whisper sweetly against my ear to bring a desired purr from me. I fucking love this woman.

"Lover," I groan out, feeling her rub herself wantonly against my arousal as I take in her heavenly scent, dragging my descended fangs teasingly along the column of her throat. Godric joins us then, molding himself to our shared love's back and gives me a knowing grin just before I sink my fangs into Sookie's golden throat.

A sweet moan emanates from my love as her scorching bloods flood my mouth, filling me with her vibrant life force. Fucking incredible. I proceed to draw at the small wound, letting her sweet ambrosia glide down my throat and fill my gullet to feel one hunger subsiding as the other steadily rises.

Sookie must feel my mounting need as she proceeds to align my length to her heated sex and we're both left moaning in harmony as she lowers herself over me, enveloping me fully inside her. She tenses then, her blunt nails digging harshly into my shoulders as I feel Godric gently breaching her second entrance and I wrap my arms around her, smoothing my hands over her back soothingly.

"Relax, Lover," I remind her gently as she lets out a shuddering sigh, her tense muscles noticeably relaxing between us as she gives herself fully over to pleasure. Godric proceeds to press forward slowly until finally sheathing himself completely, filling our love to the brink before leaning down to place a tender kiss to the back of her throat.

Sookie turns her head to give him a soft smile and he leans forward, capturing her lips into a sweet kiss as I feel the edge of her pain quickly melting away. Godric meets my heated gaze with his own and with that slight bit of encouragement; we're pumping our Sookie's gracious hips over us to bring a lustful moan from her throat.

I lean my head down, nuzzling my face against the crook of Sookie's heated throat and let her sweet, familiar scent envelope me as I lose myself in the ecstasy of our joining. I know she fears me sacrificing myself for her the way I did earlier this night, but I was utterly serious in what I told her before. I'd willingly walk through hell itself if it meant saving her and the same goes for my Maker. I lost Godric once already and I fear I'd never live through such an agonizing ordeal a second time around.

"Oh God, yes," Sookie whispers, bringing me from my thoughts as I feel her fingers threading through my dampened locks. I smile against the flesh of her shoulder then, feeling just how close she is to the razor's edge and pick up my attentions, pumping a bit harder as she takes the hair at the nape of my neck firmly in grasp.

"That's it, Lover," I breathe against her ear, hearing her racing heartbeat as her pulse is thrumming steadily harder and her breathing is reduced to tattered gasps.

"Come for us, my beloved," Godric breathes against her opposite ear just before a ragged scream is ripped from both their throats in unison, hitting their peaks as one.

"Fuck," I groan out lowly, feeling my love's silken walls clench around me tightly before my own release is milked from me and I'm falling over the sweet edge of desire right along with them both. I lower myself to the shower bench then, my sated muscles making it difficult to stand before working to settle Sookie over mine and Godric's joined laps.

"I'm so glad you're back," my Sookie tells me, placing a soft kiss against the dampened skin of my softly glowing chest as I run my fingers through her hair with a fond smile.

"I couldn't have been gone for more than a couple hours," I tease, knowing full well those hours felt like an entire eternity spent away from my loves as Sookie frowns up at me.

"Well, it was much too long anyways," she insists as Godric and I each nod our agreement. Sookie looks between us thoughtfully then, tilting her head as she worries her bottom lip between her teeth and Godric and I both look to her expectantly, wondering what could be causing her sudden change in demeanor.

"Something is troubling you, my love," Godric notes. "And this is not the first time I have felt this worry rising from you," he adds, raising a brow at his soulmate as she lets out a soft sigh, nodding to his assessment.

"Yeah," she whispers softly before she's shivering atop us.

"Let's get you warm, Lover, and then you can tell us what has you so upset," I insist, standing to turn off the cooling spray before the three of us are working to dry one another. I wrap my Sookie with a wide, fluffy towel and scoop her into my arms before making my way to the bed and soon, the three of us are settled under the covers together, Godric and I both prepared to listen to our love's concerns.

"It has to do with the bond we share," Sookie says, looking to Godric as we nod our understanding. "According to Amelia, it wasn't my wish that caused our life forces to intertwine the way they did. It was the connection itself that has evolved, tying us together even closer than we were before," she explains as our combined concerns are flowing between us.

"So you cannot wish this connection away," I muse aloud as Sookie shakes her head, a small frown forming over her angelic features as she locks gazes with Godric.

"Then we must assume this is an act of fate, my love," Godric suggests, smiling fondly at his soul's counterpart as he takes her hand into his own. "A way of ensuring we are together in life as well as in death." Sookie's fear ratchets then, her head shaking fervently.

"No, I can't be the cause of your death, Godric," she insists as my undead heart falls to my stomach realizing just what her inevitable death will mean for all of us.

"There must be something we can do," I interject, fearing the worst as my loves both turn their gazes upon me, mirroring frowns gracing both their faces before Sookie lets out a small sigh.

"I've been giving it a lot of thought, actually," she says then, looking down to her fidgeting fingers. "It wouldn't be my first choice, exactly, but if it meant saving you, I think I'd be willing to be turned," she whispers softly enough that I fear I may have misheard her soft confession.

"You are certain about this, my love?" Godric questions, squeezing her hand gently as I feel his hope flaring subtly between us.

"I can't say I'm not at least a little terrified by the idea," she sighs out, lifting her face once more to look back and forth between us. "But if it meant getting to spend the rest of eternity with you both, I think I could go through with it," she concludes just before Godric and I are wrapping her into our dual embrace.

"Lover, nothing could possibly make me happier," I confess, feeling a massive weight being lifted from my shoulders as she grins up at me.

"I have to agree with Eric, my beloved," Godric declares. "Though, we can give you some time to adjust to the idea before moving forward," he suggests, earning an agreeing nod from our love as she visibly relaxes between us.

"I'd like that," she admits, letting out a loud sigh. "I feel better already, just having finally talked to you both about this," she says then before she's letting out a jaw cracking yawn.

"I'm glad you confided in us, Lover," I tell her, helping her settle upon the pile of pillows before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Sleep on the idea and be sure this is truly what you want, alright?" I beseech, earning a light nod from her as I desperately hope she won't change her mind about this. "I love you, my Sookie," I whisper, pressing myself along her side to bask in her delicious warmth.

"I love you, too, Eric," she whispers before Godric is pressing a tender kiss to her temple.

"I love you, mo anam chara," he whispers, bringing a soft smile to her lips.

"I love you, too, Godric," she replies, snuggling between the two of us with a soft sigh before I feel her drifting off to sleep. Godric looks to me then and the two of us share a knowing smile, each feeling hopeful for our shared future as he leans closer.

"I love you, Master," I tell him, kissing him softly as I feel him smiling against my lips.

"And I love you, my child," he returns. "I believe the fates have a rather remarkable future set in place for the three of us," he insists as I hope he's not wrong about this.

"I certainly hope so," I reply, earning a firm nod from the vampire who made me before we're both settling ourselves to either side of our love. I burrow close to my Sookie, letting her scent encase me fully and send a prayer to the gods that my Maker is right about our future. I want for nothing more than to spend my eternity with my loves and let blissful thoughts of such a life take me to my daytime slumber.