Thanks for the great reviews of the last chapter. Very mixed views on whether it was Åsa's time or not, but I grew to like her. Anyway, Eric is in a very dark place during this chapter…

Eric sank onto his knees as he stared at the remains of Åsa and let out a wail that could only be described as heart breaking. His red tears were falling plainly down his cheeks and the surge of pain I was getting from him was incapacitating to the point that I had to hold onto the wall to stop myself from falling over.

I didn't know what to do.

I didn't know whether to comfort Eric, or whether he was going to blame me for Åsa's death since she was protecting me. I looked to Pam for some guidance, but she simply shook her head at me and sank down next to her Maker. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his head into her hair. For some reason, I knew that I wasn't welcome, and I remained standing where I was, wrapping my arms tightly around myself as I leaned on the wall for support.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked me loudly in my mind, and I realised that my own barriers had completely failed me. I could only assume that maybe it was something to do with the way that Eric was affected me. I looked to her and gave a slight grimace and a shake of my head to let her know that I really wasn't doing that well.

I felt enough of my own grief that Åsa was dead, along with guilt that she was there to protect me, but with Eric's emotions as well, it was hard to deal with.

"Be strong, Sookie, he's going to need you."

I simply nodded at her in acknowledgement, and she came and wrapped an arm around me. I looked back to where Eric was and could see that Pam was gently coaxing him up off the floor. Behind him, Alcide and two other were guards arrived, but it was too late. The fairies had long since disintegrated into dust, and Åsa was finally dead.

"Come on, Eric. Let's go back to the hotel," Pam said to her maker. He simply nodded at her and she led him away, his arm wrapped over her as she supported him. He still hadn't said a word, but his pain seemed to be getting worse rather than better.

Neither one of them looked to me as they walked away, and I assumed that Pam would drive him back to the hotel in the car we'd all arrived in. I remained standing where I was and stared down at the blood on the floor.

"What happened?" Alcide asked us once Eric and Pam were safely out of earshot.

"Fairies. Two of them, Åsa killed one, but was distracted by his blood, and the other one staked her. Pam and I finished off the other one. They were both of my kin."

Alcide nodded. "What do we do?"

I didn't know the answer to that, but Amelia was right in saying that I needed to be strong for both of us. "Do you have something we can put her … remains into? I wonder if Eric may like to bury her."

Alcide nodded. "Of course."

Alcide and the other weres went back to the large SUV they'd rented and came back with a large plastic box and a couple of shovels. It wasn't very pleasant watching the weres shovel the remains of the vampire who had become my friend into the box, but it had to be done.

As they were finishing up, my phone beeped to indicate a new text message. It was from Pam and simply said: Go back to Shreveport, Eric and I will fly back tomorrow.

I didn't like that one bit and I felt like Eric was pushing me away, but I wanted to respect his wishes, and told Alcide what Pam had said. Luckily, there was room in the SUV for all of us and the remains of Åsa. We drove back in silence, not one of us saying anything or really knowing what to say. The distance from Eric gave me some relief from his pain, and even more when the sun rose, but I missed him. I wanted to be the one to comfort him, but he hadn't even acknowledged me.

When we got back to Shreveport, I carefully placed the remains of Åsa in the pantry to keep cool (I didn't know whether vampire blood would go off and start to smell) and I went and showered and climbed into bed. However, it was cold and empty without Eric, and I knew I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon.

Instead, I got dressed and headed into Shreveport. I didn't really like that Åsa's remains were in a plastic box, and I drove around the shops until I found an ornate gold box that sealed well and seemed ideal for the purposes we needed it for. The box cost a few thousand dollars, but the price was irrelevant. I transferred Åsa's remains into the box when I got back to the house. I also sent Pam a message to tell her what I had done, and hoped to God that I had done the right thing. I didn't need Eric hating me any more than he already did.

I received a text message from Pam later on in the evening to say that Eric and her were heading back to Shreveport, and she thanked me for collecting Åsa's remains. I wondered whether Eric would want to hold some kind of funeral for her, or do something to remember her, like build something in her name or plant a tree.

I waited anxiously in the living room for Pam and Eric to come back, and I was able to sense their movements as they came closer. I'd felt Eric's pain the moment he woke up, and it only seemed worse than before. It made me burst into tears when I felt his pain, and I felt so helpless that I couldn't do anything for him.

By the time they arrived in Shreveport I was a wreck, but Amelia had been right in saying that I needed to be strong for him. Pam pulled up in front of the house, but I could see how drawn out Eric looked. His eyes were a deep black and really showed his age. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I could hardly burden him with any more. He didn't need to be concerned about me as well.

Pam helped him inside and he sank down on one of the sofas, not taking any notice of me and staring at the floor in front of him. I felt so helpless looking at him sitting there. The man I knew and loved really wasn't in there, and much despite myself, I found myself wondering how much he had loved her. Was his mourning just from losing a child or was it because he did still love her? He had proven when he was cursed that he still loved her, and she'd explained to me that I was the only reason he had moved on. But what if he hadn't really moved on? What if everything I had with him was a lie?

"Sookie?" I turned to see Pam standing in the doorway, and she indicated for me to follow her. I took one last look at Eric before following her into the garden where Eric wouldn't hear us.

"What can I do?" I asked as soon as we were alone. "I feel so helpless."

She sighed. "He needs to grieve for her. However, I didn't think he would be this bad. His emotions are complex and he's in a lot of pain. He feels guilty and thinks her death is on his hands."

"Will he be okay?"

"I honestly don't know. I have heard of cases where a vampire has been driven mad by the death of their child to the point that they have met the sun."

I gasped and brought my hand to my mouth, tears forming in my eyes. "That can't happen!"

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I will do everything in my power to make sure that it doesn't happen. We will need to support him through this."

I nodded. "Does he blame me?"

She paused for a moment before answering. "I do not know. He had not mentioned you at all. But thank you for keeping her remains; I know he wishes to bury her."

"I thought he might."

"Be strong, Sookie, he …" She stopped mid-sentence as Eric called to her and gave me an apologetic smile. I followed her inside to see that Eric had found the remains of Åsa and was cradling the gold box close to his chest.

"Pamela, ready the plane, we are leaving tonight for Sweden."

"Eric," I started gently, taking a step closer to him, "are you …" He cut me off with a harsh glare, and I felt a jolt of animosity come from him. It was enough to completely floor me, and I felt tears fall down my face as I watched him walk away from me. I followed at a distance as he ordered Pam to drive him to the airfield without a second glance back at me.

And with that, Eric drove away from me.

.

In the first few days after Eric left, I was a wreck and didn't leave the bed I used to share with him. I hadn't heard from him or Pam, and I didn't know what to do. But Amelia finally talked me out of bed (or rather literally dragged me out), and I had a visit from Thalia wondering where Eric was as he wasn't answering his phone and hadn't shown up to a meeting that had been scheduled.

I ended up her telling her everything, as with Eric and Pam gone it meant that she was essentially in charge of Louisiana. She wasn't too impressed with that to say the least, but she was also loyal to Eric and would do what was required to keep his state in running order. Eric had told me what his passwords were on his computer and I knew the combinations to his safe. It meant that I was able to answer some of his emails – with Thalia's help – and not give away any indication that he was missing.

I hadn't expected him to be gone more than a few days – a week at the most. But when that turned to ten days and then a fortnight, I began to wonder when he would be back. Or whether he would even be back at all.

I could still feel Eric, and his pain was the most prevalent emotion even at this long distance across the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, I started to block him as I wanted to focus on working, and I'd thrown myself wholly into keeping Eric's kingdom running. Quite simply, the distraction of doing his work was a welcome one from missing him.

The most painful thing to do, however, was to cancel the wedding. I emailed the official who was going to do it to tell him the ceremony would be cancelled, along with the caterers and decorators who we'd arranged to spruce up the house before the ceremony. Amelia had been a rock to me during that, and where I'd told Alcide and Jason, I left Amelia to tell everyone else with the strict rule that I didn't want to be contacted by any of them.

Of course, they were all concerned, and I'd told them that Eric was away on business rather than anything close to the truth. Although as Jason was being a little persistent and mouthy, I ended up asking Thalia to glamour him and my other human friends into forgetting all about Eric and my wedding. At times, I wished that I could be glamoured as well.

Thalia and I had fallen into a good rhythm of working together. I'd become pretty much nocturnal and worked hard during the nights in Eric's name. There were obviously things we needed to cancel, and we tried to keep as much to email correspondence as possible. Rasul of Area One was the only vampire who knew the truth of Åsa as it had happened within his area, but then he was also the most trusted of Eric's sheriffs.

The problem was that the other big event looming was the Great Revelation. I had always promised Eric that I would screen all human staff beforehand, and that is what I did during the afternoons. I'd get them in the room together and tell them of the existence of vampires. Those that responded well we'd keep, and those that showed any signs of hatred or fear we'd sack. And of course, all were glamoured into forgetting what they'd been told, with those that weren't as open to vampires being glamoured into leaving their employment.

It was a job I did all over the kingdom, with Maxwell Lee becoming my vampire bodyguard and Alcide and his girlfriend Maria being with me during the day. I knew that I had to stay safe, as much for Eric as for myself. If he ever did pull himself out of his depression, I got the feeling that he wouldn't handle it well if I'd got myself kidnapped or killed.

But I missed him.

I missed him more each day and it didn't get any easier. There were times when I lifted the block on the bond just to feel him, but he was no better. He was still in his dark place and I had not heard a word from either him or Pam. Thalia had asked a trusted confidante to see if he could be found in Sweden, but there was no sign of him, and his plane could not be easily traced. It was as if both Pam and Eric had disappeared.

And now the Great Revelation was coming up. Eric was King and was meant to be the public face, and Thalia and I had to find some way of hiding or explaining his whereabouts. If other vampires found out we were missing a King and one of his lieutenants we'd be sitting ducks for a takeover. Instead, Thalia and I prepared for both defence and attack. We employed as many were guards as we could and we used those vampires loyal to Eric to keep a close eye on what was happening in their areas. We also used the witches at our disposal, and I was even visited by the great-grandfather, who gave me a little extra Fae protection.

All we had to do was to try to all stay alive and hope that Eric came back.

.

.

Eric

I was in the dark and alone.

There was a gaping hole where she had been, and I didn't know how to fill it. But I needed something else as well. I was missing my other half, my light to guide me away from this blackness and death.

Sookie

Where was she? Was she here with me? Where was I? I couldn't really remember anything, but the vision of seeing my child die had been replaying over and over in my mind.

I needed her; I craved her. I missed the sound of her voice and the smile she would bring to my face. I missed her blood and her comfort; I missed the closeness of the bond I had. But I couldn't feel that either.

"Sookie?" I said aloud this time.

"Eric?" It wasn't the right voice.

"Where is Sookie?"

"Fuck, Eric." I felt arms go around me and I looked into the eyes of my child Pam. She looked fraught with worry and she was never usually this emotional with me. "Are you okay?" she leaned back to look me in the eye.

That was a good question. "I … I miss Åsa. I don't really know what to do without her. She was such a big part of my life for so long, and it's my fault that she has met her final death."

She placed a hand on my face. "It's not your fault, Eric. She was killed by Fae assassins. This is all Breandon's doing and he is now dead, I saw to that. She wanted to protect Sookie." She said the last part in little more than a whisper to even my vampire ears.

"Where is she?"

"Sookie?"

"Yes. I can't feel her." And I couldn't. I reached out in my bond to her, but I could feel nothing from her. I felt like she was blocking me or that I was too far away from her.

"She is still in Louisiana, I believe."

"You believe?"

"I don't know, Eric. You forbade me from contacting her."

I didn't remember that. But then I also didn't know where I was. I remembered seeing Åsa die, I remembered a plane journey and bringing her to her homeland to bury the beautiful golden box I didn't remember buying. But I couldn't work out exactly where I was now.

"Where are we?"

"Still in Sweden. Are you hungry?"

I was. I felt like I hadn't eaten for months. I nodded to my child and she went away and warmed me a bag of blood. But that only increased my hunger and it took five more bags before I was sated. Pam looked pleased that I had eaten.

But I couldn't remember the reason that I hadn't allowed Pam to contact Sookie. I needed her here with me, I needed her more than anything, and without her now, I was nothing.

"Eric, stop it."

I looked up at Pam who was standing with her hands on her hips. "I will not let you slip back into this depression. It has nearly killed you and I have fought so hard to stop you from meeting the sun. If you want to see Sookie, we will return to Louisiana immediately. Assuming you have a Kingdom left, that is."

"What?"

I hadn't thought of that. I had walked away, no, ran away from Louisiana without a second thought of what would happened to my Kingdom in my absence. And Sookie – I had left her alone. I had abandoned her when there were Fae assassins after her, when there were other vampires willing to take the telepath from my side, let alone capture her when she was alone.

"I should not have said anything. Come, we need to leave now to get to the plane now. I will call the pilot on the way."

"She could be dead," I mused.

"She isn't. We would both feel it if she was. Now pull yourself together, I have had enough of this."

My child was right. I stood and followed her out of the underground lair; a place I recognised as one of my safe houses that I had built on my birthplace. Åsa had been born only a few miles away, and that was where I had buried her. But now I needed to move on, I needed to go back to my wife and bonded, and hope that she was okay.

The flight was long and boring, but when we arrived in Louisiana all seemed surprisingly well. It was a few hours before dawn and we were greeted at the airfield by a vampire I recognised, and my car was still parked in the secure parking unit where I had left it. I took it as a good sign, and after dropping Pam at her own home, I drove speedily in the direction of my house. I still could feel little from Sookie, but she was obviously asleep and her hold on the bond had slipped.

I drove up to the gates to be stopped by three vampires guards, two of which I didn't recognise, however when they saw it was me I was let through without question. But I could see a look of surprise in the eyes in one of the younger vampires who was not as schooled at keeping his emotions off his face. I was tempted to go back and question him, but I had greater urges to see Sookie.

I hoped that she would still be willing to marry me at the end of the month, and I looked forward to her becoming my wife on her terms as well as my own.

But when I entered my underground lair, what I saw shocked me. Sookie was lying on the bed with only a thin sheet covering her, and she was wearing one of my shirts. But she looked so thin. How could she have lost so much weight in this time? Why was she not looking after herself? Was she sick? I could see that her dreams were not peaceful ones, and she tossed and turned in the bed, a light sweat covering her body.

I couldn't stop myself from stepping forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. I placed a hand on her leg and felt that her temperature was a few degrees higher than it should be. She was definitely sick, and I worried for her.

I knew that Åsa loved Sookie like a sister, and she would have wanted the both of us to be happy. It was something I knew she had struggled with at first, as Åsa still loved me right up until her death, but through Sookie, we had found a happiness together. She was more than just my child – we had too much history together for that – but at the end, we managed to have a more normal maker-child relationship.

But losing her hurt more than I ever thought it would. I had lost my own maker and although the breaking of the bond hurt, it was nothing in comparison to the gut-wrenching pain that came from Åsa's death. I was heartbroken and inconsolable. And I realised now that I pushed everyone away, including the one person I needed to make it through; the one person whose light and love would have been able to pull me through this.

"Eric," Sookie moaned in her sleep, fidgeting and fighting against something as she tossed and turned.

"I am here, my love."

She awoke with a start, her blue eyes staring at me in disbelief. "Eric? Is that really you?"

I could feel her again, and I bathed myself in her life force, closing my eyes momentarily. But in that I could also feel her pain and tiredness, and a guilt I didn't understand. Did she blame herself for what happened to Åsa? Had something else happened in the weeks I had been gone?

"I'm here, lover."

She threw herself at me, and I caught her in my arms, wrapping them tightly around her. But I could feel how thin she was; how much weight she had lost.

"You have lost weight. Have you been okay?"

She shrugged in my arms, her head buried in my chest and breathing me in as I was her. "I suppose I haven't had much time to eat over the last couple of months. And I haven't really felt like eating recently."

I felt my blood freeze. "Months?" I pulled back from her to meet her eyes.

"Yes."

"Sookie, how long have I been gone?"

"Four months, Eric. It's early January." She seemed surprised that I hadn't realised what month it was, and she placed a hand on my cheek. "I was so worried about you. I've been trying to keep things running here – with Thalia, of course – but it's been hard and I really missed you." She placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "And yeah, I guess I've been losing quite a bit of weight recently. I'm not as durable as you vampires are." She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder again.

I couldn't comprehend that I had been gone for so long. Why had Pam not told me? Did she even realise?

"I am so sorry, Sookie."

"That's okay. I know you needed time to heal. Are you doing alright?" She'd lifted her head to she could meet my eyes once more.

I wasn't going to lie to her. "I have been in a very dark place. I … I miss her. I feel like I am missing something without her."

"You still loved her." It was a statement rather than a question, and I could see a look of sadness in Sookie's eyes.

"In a way, yes. But Sookie, I love you more. And I am sorry I have let you down in leaving you like this. I'm sorry I missed our wedding; that I have left you exposed and alone. I am not sure that I can forgive myself."

"I forgive you, Eric. And I understand. I knew that you had to grieve for her. I …" she trailed off and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Sookie?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does. Tell me."

"I just wish you had let me help you. I am here for you, Eric; I want to be the one you turn to."

"I know," I hung my head. "I shouldn't have pushed you away. Maybe I blamed you a little at the time – wrongly, I will add – or maybe I was too absorbed in myself to realise that I needed your help, but please believe how sorry I am."

She smiled and placed a hand on my cheek. "I do, Eric. And I can feel it." She climbed up off the bed, looking over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Come, let's take a bath and then go to bed, it will be dawn soon." She extended a hand to me, which I took, and I let her lead me to the bathroom.

Once the bath was ready, we climbed in and I held her tight to me. I didn't know how I had survived for so long without her, and I knew that even though Åsa had been my child and former lover, if anything had happened to Sookie nothing would have stopped me from meeting the sun.

"You know, I think you owe Thalia some time off, or at least a damn good bonus. She's been awesome." She was gently playing with my hair and I ran my fingers down her spine.

"I am incredibly thankful to both of you." It truly amazed me that between the two of them they had kept things running smoothly in my absence, particularly as there were many things about vampire politics I had not explained to Sookie.

She smiled. "I would do anything for you."

I sighed. "I don't deserve you." I could tell that she was about to protest, but I placed a finger over her lips. "It is the truth. I should never have left you here alone, particularly … particularly when Åsa was so concerned with your safety. She would have hated me to have risked you like that."

I took her left hand in mine and ran my thumb over the large blue diamond I had given her a lifetime ago.

"Will you still marry me?" I asked her.

She smiled and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose. "Of course. Although that may be more difficult now that vampires are out in the open. It would be illegal for us to marry." She had a disappointed expression in her eyes even though she tried to hide it in the bond.

"We will find a way, Sookie," I promised her, and I meant it as well. I was going to marry her no matter what it took or who I killed.

Sookie simply smiled and nuzzled into my neck. But I could tell she felt let down by me, even if she didn't say the words aloud. However, there were other things on my mind. In my absence, I hadn't been around for the Great Revelation. I knew that it was time I was expected to make myself known as the face of Louisiana, and all monarchs were meant to be under the direct control of the Authorities during the Revelation. That my State hadn't been taken over in my absence was truly a miracle.

"What are you thinking, Eric? Your emotions are all over the place."

"About the Great Revelation. I was expected to oversee events, I was meant to liaise with the authorities."

Sookie sighed, but smiled a little at the same time. "I won't say that it wasn't difficult and a lot of hard work. And we may have also lied a little to cover your absence." She had a sly smile on her face.

"Lied a little?" I was becoming prouder and prouder of my wife.

She shrugged. "It was Thalia's idea. We needed an excuse for you to not be public, and we made it known that you had lost part of your arm. We had to also say that you were grieving for the loss of your child …" she paused to make sure I was okay with that. "And Niall was okay with us blaming the fairies for her death and your injury."

Niall? "He has contacted you?"

"With Breandon dead he was able to; things are more stable now in Faery. He's been a great help, lending a little fairy magic to my protection, and my cousin Claudine kept a close eye on me, and got me out of a few scrapes."

I would have to be grateful to him if he had done that. "Has anyone tried to harm you?" Her response was to lower her eyes, and I knew that obviously someone had. "Tell me, Sookie."

"It was after the Revelation … Alcide and his girlfriend Maria were my daytime guards …" I couldn't help but growl at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Hey, stop it. I said his girlfriend as well." She gave me a pointed look and I remained quiet. "Anyway, some weres from Florida jumped us one morning, incapacitating Alcide and Maria, and taking me." She smiled. "I have to say they truly underestimated me."

"How?"

"My great-grandfather gave me some invisible gloves worn by the Fae that protected my hands and wrists from iron, so them shackling me in iron had little effect. Let's just say within a few minutes I had killed all six of them." She grinned. "It seems werewolves don't like fire either." I could tell that she was proud of her achievement, and while it scared me that she had been in that situation, I was pleased she had shown herself to be so powerful.

"You are quite the fairy-warrior," I told her, pushing her wet hair back off her face. "And I am again so sorry that I have left you alone for such a long time."

"It's okay; you obviously didn't know how long you had been gone."

"That is no excuse. I should not have left you in the first place."

"I forgive you, Eric."

I hugged her close to me. "Thank you, although I will not be able to forgive myself so easily. You are so thin, and I can feel your tiredness. Have you been sleeping?" I met her eyes and could see her weariness.

"I have had trouble sleeping," she admitted. "My dreams have been filled with thoughts of you: concerns that you would not come back, or that you would meet the sun. I thought of Åsa a lot as well. I miss her as well."

"I know."

We just held each other tightly until I could start to feel the tug of the sun.

"Will you feed from me?" I asked. "I am concerned for your health."

"I would like us to exchange."

I pulled us out of the bath quickly, and towelled us both off. There was no time for sex, but I ran my hands over my wife's body to calm her, pleased that my touch still did so. I laid down on the bed and pulled her naked body on top of me. She nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck, kissing and nibbling at my skin as she inhaled my scent, her fingers digging into my arms. I ran my fingers through her long blonde hair and placed a lick along her neck

She mimicked my action, her warm tongue licking along my neck before she nipped at my skin. I groaned in pleasure before she bit harder, drawing blood with her blunt teeth and sucking hard at the wound. My hard cock was sandwiched between us, and I could smell her arousal. I couldn't resist bringing my hand to her warm sex, and I fingered her as I bit into neck. She shuddered with pleasure, moaning audibly as I took a mouthful of her delicious blood.

I didn't know how I had stayed away from her for so long, and I knew in that moment that it wasn't just Åsa I had been missing. I had caused my own problems in being away from Sookie, and I swore to myself then and there that I would not spend another night away from her, no matter what it took. She was my all; my everything.

We finished feeding at the same time, both of us coming hard as I fingered her to her orgasm and thrusted against her warm thigh. Dawn was only minutes away, and I rolled us onto our sides and pulled her into me, nuzzling my face into her hair as she spooned back against me. She was asleep even before I was, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her.

She was what I needed to heal, and I wasn't going to let her down again.

When I woke the next evening, Sookie wasn't in my arms, but she was laid facing me and running her fingernails down my arm. I could feel a sense of determination from her, but her love was a strong undercurrent. She was also a little nervous.

"You're beautiful when you sleep," she mused, leaning forward to kiss me.

"Are you saying you prefer me dead for the day than at night?" I was teasing and I played with the hem of the light blue nightdress she wore.

"No. But you look so peaceful."

"It's the beauty of being a vampire that for me, when I wake, I feel that no time has passed."

"No sleepless nights for you then." She seemed thoughtful.

"No." She snuggled in closer to me and I wrapped my arms around her. "Something on your mind?" I was a little worried considering I knew how much I had let her down in not being here for her.

"Yes. Two things."

"Okay …" she was strong and determined.

"Firstly … I've been doing some research, and, well, although it's illegal for vampires and humans to marry in the US, it is legal in Finland." I was impressed that she'd been looking, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "I called Mr Cataliades, and he told me that if we married in a country that allowed our marriage, it would have to be recognised here."

"You want to do that?" I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I met her eyes.

She smiled. "Yes, although maybe we need to shore up your authority here before we go gallivanting back across the Atlantic again." I loved that she understood what I needed to do.

"True, but I don't want to leave it too long. I need to be married to you in every way possible."

She gave me a huge grin and nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck, kissing down my neck. I could feel how happy and contented she was, and I felt exactly the same. I moved us so that our lips could meet, and we lazily kissed each other as we laid in each other's arms.

"There is something else?" I asked after a while.

She sensed a little nervousness from her as I asked that, and she leaned back to meet my eyes.

"Yes. I wish for you to make me vampire."

…

I'd love to know your thoughts after that shocker – more of Sookie's thoughts in the next chapter.

I've decided that there is only going to be one more chapter after this, and possibly an epilogue. But I feel this is coming to a natural end, and I don't want to overwork it.

I've enjoyed writing this, and thank everyone who has taken the time to read, rate and review. Next chapter up by next weekend at the latest.

Lots of love

Drumbjo.