Hello, hello my faithful, wonderful, awesome, amazing, beautiful readers *bats eyelashes and hopes ya'll aren't mad* I do have a good excuse for the lateness of this chapter, and it's that I finally wrote my Halloween Contest fic! Yay!

I'll provide the link for it, and some other cool links at the bottom, kay?

Chapter 25

I woke up the next morning when I heard my mother and sister whispering loudly in Swedish outside the bedroom door. It seemed that Pam wanted to wake me up, and Mom was telling her to let us be, that we were up late. I smirked. I knew Sookie would be embarrassed, but I wasn't. I knew how my family viewed sex, and it wasn't a big deal to them. They knew we did it, and though I'm sure they'd appreciate not hearing it all the time, I knew they wouldn't make a fuss over it.

When Mom convinced Pam to go to the kitchen with her to help with breakfast, I rolled over, and pulled Sookie into my arms. A quick glance at her left hand revealed that the night before really had happened. It felt so much like a dream, but it wasn't. Sookie was my fiancé now, and I couldn't wait to marry her. I hoped she wouldn't want a fancy wedding, but I knew I would give it to her if that was her wish.

The good thoughts about my upcoming marriage to Sookie gave way to darker ones when I thought about her confession. I hadn't realized just how much my heart was set on having children with her, until she told me that it might not be possible. It had taken a couple of minutes for it all to sink in. When it finally hit me that she was sobbing next to me, and holding onto my hand for dear life, I grabbed her. I knew then that she wanted the same things I did. We were in it together, and if we couldn't make our own children, then we'd adopt. There was more than one way to have a family, and we'd have ours, I was sure of it.

Sookie stirred slightly, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked at me, and then glanced at her left hand, no doubt wondering if it had all been a dream just as I had.

"Good morning," I said, and I hugged her more tightly to me. She giggled, and nuzzled her face into my chest.

"We really got engaged last night, didn't we," she mumbled into my chest.

"Yes, we did."

"My mother's going to flip."

"In a good way, or a bad one?"

"A good one. She was really happy that you and I got together in the first place, so I don't think she'd have a problem with us getting married. I should probably call her soon. When are we going to tell your mom and Pam?"

"How about after a shower?" I said as I pressed myself against her.

"That sounds agreeable," she grinned.

About forty minutes, and all the hot water later, Sookie and I were fully dressed, and grinning like fools as we walked into the kitchen. There were two plates of hot food waiting for us.

"What the hell are you two so giddy about?" Pam asked.

Mom turned around, and immediately looked at Sookie's left hand. Her eyes welled up, and she launched herself at Sookie, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"You two have made me so happy," my mother said.

Pam looked confused, so I clarified for her. "Pam, Sookie and I are engaged."

"So that's what all the moaning was about," Pam observed.

Sookie immediately blushed, so I went to her, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her. She resisted for a minute, and then gave in. When I finally released her, Mom had gone back to the stove, and Pam was reading the newspaper.

"They don't care," I whispered in her ear. "Don't be embarrassed."

She was still blushing, but she nodded anyway, and then we sat down to eat. My mother cooked a delicious feast for breakfast. We both had pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast, and Sookie devoured everything, as did I. She and I took care of the cleanup, while Mom went to take a short nap. She was getting tired more easily lately. I was beginning to worry more about her.

"You need to talk to her about it, Eric," Sookie told me, as we were finishing up the dishes.

"About what?" I asked.

"How you're feeling, Niall, what she wants. You three need to sit down and talk it all out. I can make myself scarce for the afternoon. I'll go visit Sam for a while."

"We've tried that, Sookie. She clams up, and won't talk about it."

"She has to talk about it. For her own sake, as well as yours and Pam's."

"You try telling her that then, because she won't listen to us."

"I can try."

I spent the rest of the morning writing, while Sookie went out to the field to take pictures. It was almost noon when Pam came into my study. She paced around the room for a while before finally settling down on the couch to stare at me until I acknowledged her.

"So, Sookie told you about Sam?" She said quietly, not meeting my eye line.

"Yes, she did. I would like to know why you thought you couldn't tell me."

Her eyes snapped to mine, and she actually looked guilty. "I know there was a time when we told each other everything, and I still do in a way, but Eric, this was really scary for me. I really have feelings for Sam, and I was scared to death that you wouldn't like him. Your approval means a lot to me, and though it wouldn't have changed the outcome of mine and Sam's relationship, it would've been nice to have it. I went through Sookie because I knew she and Sam used to be good friends. I thought if she thought he and I were good together, then it would go a long way towards you being okay with it as well."

Wow. I had never seen Pam so insecure about anything. Ever. It hurt that she thought she couldn't tell me, and that she thought I wouldn't approve, but I understood.

"Pam, you and mom never really approved of Sophie, but I didn't know that while I was with her. What makes you think I'd throw a fit about whomever you chose? As long as you are happy, then I'm happy for you."

She smiled, but still looked nervous. "So do you…approve?"

I smiled back, "Of course I do. Sam is a good man, and I'm happy it's him you fell for." She seemed to relax after I said it, and smiled when I said she fell for him. "You are in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes, I think I am. Who knew we'd have to move to the Midwest to find love?"

I laughed, and then got up to pull her into a hug. "I'm glad you found it too Pam."

"Can I take your car to go see him?"

"How about I drive you?"

"I know how to drive," she said as she crossed her arms and stood up.

"Yes, you do, but I love my car, and we can't have you getting pulled over by the police when you don't have an American license."

She sighed dramatically, "Fine, but let's get going. I want to be there by lunch."

"Let me save what I've got here, and then we'll go."

I got my work saved, and then drove Pam to Merlotte's. She asked if I wanted to come in, so I went to sort of "meet" Sam as the boyfriend. I knew him as the owner of Merlotte's, then as Sookie's best friend, and now as Pam's boyfriend. How many ways can one person be introduced to another? Sam seemed nervous when I walked into his office after Pam, but not before I saw the huge smile on his face from seeing her. He loved her too. I was good about everything. I shook his hand, and told him how happy I was to see him with my sister. Sam told me that he would drop her off later, and then I went back home.

Sookie's camera bag was in the living room when I got back, and I heard voices back in my mom's room. I hoped she was making some sort of progress with her. I walked slowly down the hall, straining to hear the conversation so I could decide on whether or not to go in.

"Just come on in, Eric," I heard my mother call. I sighed, and walked into the room.

"I swear, you're psychic," I said. Sookie was sitting on the end of the bed, and Mom was sitting up against the headboard. Both of them looked calm. I took a seat in the recliner in the corner of the room.

"Sookie and I have been talking," she began, "and I think it's time we all sat down and had a discussion."

"Oh Emma, I don't need to be here for it. I don't want to intrude," Sookie tried to plead, but I knew it was useless. Mom considered her part of the family now, and would insist on her being there. I was glad too, because I wanted her next to me for this conversation.

"I want you there, Sookie. I'm sure my son will want you there too," Mom told her, and took Sookie's hand. "I already consider you my daughter."

Sookie didn't say anything, she simply nodded, and even though I couldn't see her face from where I was sitting, I knew she was probably about to cry. I got up from the chair, and went to stand behind Sookie. As soon as I rested my hand on her shoulder she relaxed.

"So when are we going to have this talk?" I asked.

"Tonight, after Pamela gets home. For now, I'll make us some lunch. How does that sound?"

"Mom, why don't you let Sookie and I make lunch. You still look a little tired."

"Yes, Eric and I can make something," Sookie agreed.

"Okay, I'll be in there in a bit," she said, and then we left to go fix something.

Sookie and I fixed some soup and sandwiches for lunch, and after we all ate, Mom laid down again. It was just a bad energy day for her. I also think she was worrying about whatever she had to tell us about Niall.

"So, are you going to tell me how you convinced my mom to spill?" I asked Sookie when we went into my office to work.

"I just told her about my Gran, and how much easier it was on all of us when she talked to us before she passed. She told us what kind of funeral she wanted, what she wanted to be dressed in, the bible passages she wanted read… It was hard for all of us to do, but after she passed, we all realized how much it helped. Emma agreed to do that, and then I eased into the subject of Niall. It took a little convincing, but in the end she agreed that you and Pam deserve to know the truth about him."

I was amazed at how much Sookie convinced my mother to do in one afternoon. Pam and I had been trying to get her to do all of those things, but she wouldn't budge on it.

"I love you, you know that?" I said as I got up to sit on the couch with her.

"I do know that, but you better get your butt back to that chair right now," she said as she leaned away from me when I tried to kiss her.

"Why?"

"Because all I seem to want to do is have sex with you right now, and if you kiss me, I won't be held accountable for my actions," she explained.

"Well, I have to kiss you now," I said, and continued to move towards her. She jumped up at the last second, and I landed face-first into the arm of the couch. "Ow," I mumbled into the cushion. My nose was still a bit sore from her head colliding with it.

"Serves you right," she said.

I grudgingly got up and sat in my computer chair again, and I know I was pouting. She rejected me. I heard her giggle, and then she came to kneel in front of me. Her hands came up to cup both sides of my face, and then she pulled me down and kissed my nose.

"You know I love you, I just don't want to have sex in the middle of the day while your mother is freaking out about whatever she has to tell you and Pam. I'm worried about her."

I took a deep breath, and let it out. She was right. I nodded, and then Sookie got up and sat back down on the couch. I began to work again, but found that I was too nervous to actually write anything. Luckily, Pam came home a half hour later. It was still too early to eat supper, so we got right to it.

We all sat in the living room. Mom was in one recliner, Pam sat in the one next to her, and Sookie and I sat on the couch. Mom took a deep breath, and then began.

"When I was a young girl, I was expected to marry for money, not for love. Marcus and I were practically forced together. I know he was forced to ask me, and I could tell he didn't want to be married. I said yes, though. I was too much of a coward not to. I think he always resented me for it. About two years into our marriage, we still hadn't conceived, so we went to a doctor where we found out that Marcus was sterile. I was devastated. I couldn't divorce him without shaming my parents, so I was stuck. Stuck in a loveless marriage, with no hope for children, which I desperately wanted." She paused, and a small smile crept across her face.

"Then I met Niall. He was a photographer at a society wedding that Marcus and I attended. Marcus left early to meet up with one of the women he was fooling around with, and I was stuck there with all those self-important people. I went outside to cry, and that's where Niall found me. He was my age, and so kind and handsome. We ended up talking all night, and he gave me his phone number. I called him about a week later, and he met me for lunch. We began doing that a lot, and soon enough it evolved into something much more."

I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't want to hear about my mom doing anything like that, but I was too engrossed with what she was telling us to say anything.

"We fell in love, and he begged me to leave Marcus, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to my parents. They would have been ruined in the social circles. Truth was, I was still a coward. I was afraid. Then Niall told me he was going to be sent out on assignments as a photojournalist, and it would be unlikely that he would be back anytime soon. My heart broke, but I couldn't ask him to stay if I wouldn't even leave my husband for him. I suspect he wanted me to though," she added wistfully.

"About a month after he left, I discovered that I was pregnant. I was so elated, because I wanted nothing more than to be a mother, and I was finally going to have a child by a man I loved. But I also knew that I had to leave before Marcus found out. Unfortunately, I hadn't heard from Niall, and I didn't even know if he would want to be with me by the time he returned, so I kept quiet, and hoped that I would get a letter or a phone call before I began to show. That never happened. Marcus was furious when he found out, but he quickly put his own spin on it, and decided to claim the child anyway to cover up his own shortcomings."

I was furious. I found myself tensing up, and balled my hands into fists. How dare that asshole think he could use my mother's life like some sort of sick game? Sookie noticed my emotional flare, and ran her hand down my arm. Her touch calmed me instantly, and I took her hand in mine.

Mom continued, "I didn't see Niall again until you were a few months old. He was shocked when he saw you, and immediately wanted to take us away, but it was too late. Marcus had already been put on the birth certificate, and claimed you. If I left him, he would have had rights. Niall felt horrible for being gone when he could have done something, but there was nothing we could do. He settled for seeing you everyday at lunch. For two years, he watched you grow up for only a couple of hours at a time. It was hard on him, but he never complained. He blamed himself too much. Then I got pregnant again…"

"Wait," I cut her off. "You said you only saw him when I was there right?" I asked. She nodded. "You conceived Pam in front of me?"

"Oh, hush. You were napping," she said with a wave of her hand. My jaw dropped. Sookie stifled a giggle next to me, and then Mom continued again.

"I was able to tell Niall in person that time, and he was ecstatic, but something happened in him, and he told me that there was no way Marcus would claim another of his children. I begged him not to do anything rash. He kissed me goodbye that day, and said he'd come up with something. I never saw him again."

"What? He didn't write or call or anything? He just abandoned you?" Pam said, visibly upset.

"I don't think he wanted to. I'm still sure Marcus had something to do with it. I mean, I don't think he had him killed or anything. But he must have threatened him, or blackmail… paid him off or something. I don't know. I never heard from Niall, and Marcus never said anything. I thought I saw him once when Pam was… oh five or six, but I think it was just someone that looked like him."

"I don't even know what to say," I said.

"You don't have to say anything. You know everything now. I wish I could tell you more, but there isn't any. Sookie and I talked today, and I have decided that I will start making some decisions regarding my funeral. I know it'll be hard on all of us, but it needs to be done. I don't want either of you to have to guess at what I would want."

Pam and I could only nod, both of us too close to tears.

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a while. Don't worry about supper for me, okay? I'll fix myself something later if I'm hungry," she said as she stood up. She gave all of us a hug, and then went to her bedroom. Pam asked if she could take my car to go see Sam, and I let her. I understood. She was probably feeling much the same as me. She wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in the arms of the person she loved, and told that she'd never be alone. After Pam left, I turned to do just that with Sookie, but found her looking white as a ghost.

"Sookie, what's wrong?" I asked, taking her hand.

"Do you remember when I said I recognized Niall's name?" She asked in a tense voice.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, not quite getting it.

"Eric, I know him. I know your father."

*GASP*

So sorry I ended it there! Well, I'm not really... but I feel for ya, I really do. I think FDM is rubbing off on me. I think I like it... *shifty eyes*

*ahem* Links! Right!

Here is the link for my contest entry[remove spaces]:

http://www . fanfiction . net/s/5429901/1/

Take a gander, and let me know what you think! I'm totally planning on turning my one-shot into a multi-chapter story when the contest is over :)

Don't forget to check out the contest itself, and enter! It's totally fun, I promise!

http://www . fanfiction . net/~EricandhisGreatPumpkin

And last, but most certainly not least... The lovely, amazing, fudgeawesome Meads started up Teaser Mondays on the forum! Just go to the teaser thread every Monday, and see some kickass teasers for SVM stories!

http://www . fanfiction . net/topic/55534/19191439/1/

P.S. There's one in there for the next chapter of Studybuddies, which is almost finished!