A/N: Umm... hi! So, it's been too long. Had a bit of writer's block with this, since I want to finish up the story perfectly. So here we are, nearing the finish line! Only a couple more to go, if that.

Thanks again to my cheer squad, Northwoman and GabrielleBlue. You kick my ass, in the best way possible.

Thanks so much for all your kind reviews! It keeps me going like nothing else. I try to reply to every one, so I hope I didn't miss anyone last time around.

Enough of this, on with the show!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Blah blah.

Chapter 26

EPOV

She said yes. She wanted to be my wife. Right now, as far as I was concerned, there wasn't anyone else on the planet, other than the two of us. I was flying.

I don't think I'd ever felt so nervous, standing on that roof, waiting for Sookie to show up. I kept going over what I wanted to say, terrified I'd mess it up. She was the only woman who ever made me tongue-tied, just from a glance. Did I have the words to express what I needed to say? I don't think they'd ever be enough.

When she walked through that door, though, a sudden calm washed over me. When I saw her face light up, everything fell into place. And even though I had a tough time getting it out, it wasn't because of my nerves. It was because I loved her so much.

I hated to see her cry, but just this once, it made me happy. Hers were happy tears, and I'm not ashamed to admit, when she said yes, she brought about my own. I suddenly felt like Superman - leap tall buildings in a single bound, up, up, and away, and whatever else.

Once we calmed down (a little), I moved us to the table, and pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you, Eric," she said as she sat. She moaned a little, and activated the direct line she had to little Eric. "This smells wonderful! What'd you make?"

"Well, I did something a little sneaky. Take a look." I waited as she did just that.

"Eric! You made fried chicken!" she exclaimed. "And mac and cheese?" I lifted the cloth napkin off the bread basket. "And homemade biscuits?"

I looked a little guilty. "Alright, you got me on the biscuits. Store bought. I couldn't get the recipe right. The ones I made turned out like hockey pucks. I guess I'm not great when it comes to baking. But, I did steal your Gran's recipe for the chicken and mac and cheese. I tried, so I hope they turned out okay. Wait, Sookie? Is it something I said?" I stopped when I realized she was crying again.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, baby. No, it's perfect. It's all perfect. You thought of everything. It just means so much..." She got up and threw her arms around my neck, kissing me for all I was worth. Yeah. That works.

Judging by the way she was moaning while she ate, I knew she approved. While I might not be the one cooking every night, I was glad I had the ability. She deserved to be taken care of, too.

I seemed to surprise her once again after the meal, when I got up and turned on the small stereo I'd brought up earlier. I hit play, and the first strings of Live's "Dance With You" started. I turned to a still seated Sookie, and offered her my hand. "Dance with me?"

She didn't say anything, but she nodded her head and put her tiny hand in mine, letting me pull her up. I brought close, and she snuggled her head into my chest, wrapping her arm around my waist. We melted into each other, swaying in place as the lyrics of the powerful song washed over us.

I'd always loved this song, but remembered listening years ago, wondering what it was like to feel such an all-encompassing love, to be completely swept away by such a powerful emotion. The truth was, I'd never known anything of that magnitude was possible, until Sookie quite literally danced into my life. Maybe I'd turned into the world's biggest pussy, but fuck it. I wasn't ashamed to admit that a feisty, blonde goddess turned me into a lovesick puppy. She's just agreed to spend the rest of her life with me, nothing else mattered.

I held her closely, drawing small circles on her lower back, humming quietly along with the song. The chorus began, and I realized I couldn't have chosen a better song for us.

I wanna dance with you
I see a world where people live and die with grace
The karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with you
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face

Sookie moved a little, and tilted her head up to look at me. Her eyes were glistening with happy tears, as the second verse played. She smiled with so much love, I felt like I would burst.

The stillness in your eyes
Convinces me that I
I don't know a thing
And I been around the world and I've
Tasted all the wines
A half a billion times
Came sickened to your shores
You show me what this life is for

I don't remember the rest of the song. We got caught up in each other, and the tears were not just hers. Our lips met, and I kissed her with everything I had, in an attempt to wordlessly express how much she meant to me. As we pulled apart for much-needed oxygen, I pulled Sookie over to the blanket and pillows I'd arranged earlier. I lowered her down to where she would be comfortable, and she watched as I loosened and removed my tie and jacket.

There were no words uttered between us as we slowly undressed one another. There was a chill in the air, so I quickly cocooned us in a warm quilt. I propped myself up on my elbow, and looked down at my bride to be. As I brushed a lock of hair away from her face, she kissed my palm and closed her eyes.

We took our time, enjoying every inch of each others' bodies, making love under the stars. I made sure she knew how much she meant to me, without saying a word. I was completely lost in her.

After we were thoroughly sated, we lay together looking up at the sky. I couldn't help asking, "You're not going to make me wait, are you?" I couldn't help my grin.

She looked confused. "Make you wait? To get married?" I nodded, and she laughed. "Hell, no, Northman! You asked, so I'm not waiting around for you to change your mind! I'd marry you now if I could!"

I squeezed her through her giggle fit, and asked, a little more seriously, "A month. I want to marry you in a month. Is that enough time for you?"

"You're serious? A month?" She looked thoughtful. "Nothing big and fancy, just the family. In our backyard. Oooh, with lights and everything, and we can have the ceremony just after dark. Godric can be our ring bearer!" I could see the wheels in her head turning.

We talked more about what we wanted, though I put my foot down when she insisted she dress Godric up in a dog-sized tux. I'd spare the poor pup the humiliation. Guys gotta stick together, no matter what the species.

When the temperature began to cool further, we reluctantly redressed and gathered everything up. Sookie tried to suppress a rather large yawn, so once we reached the apartment, I insisted she get ready for bed while I took Godric out to do his business.

Not ten minutes later, I was back in bed with Sookie, who'd managed to stay awake for me.

"We should go into Merlotte's tomorrow after we bring the rest of your stuff home," she suggested. "Sam, Amelia and Tara are all working, and we can call Laffy and Jason to meet us. Is Pam busy? Would your Dad come, too? I want to tell everyone all at once. I can't wait to see their faces!" She said excitedly.

"Lover, I have a confession to make. Laf and Jason already know. Well, they knew the plan, anyway." When she looked confused, I explained about asking their permission for her hand.

She teared up again, and I couldn't help my reaction. "Please, no more tears! I hate to see you cry, Sookie."

She shook her head, blinking rapidly to hold them back. "You're just so wonderful. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but whatever it was, I'll be counting my blessings everyday for the rest of our lives. I love you, Eric."

"I love you, too, Sookie." I kissed her softly, and tucked her into my chest. We drifted easily into sleep after that.

Shortly after one the next afternoon, we were pulling into the bar's parking lot. We'd been up since dawn, and had managed to make it back to Bon Temps in good time. We unloaded my things, and took showers. Adrenaline was a nice thing, and we were happy to take advantage while we could.

We were the last to arrive, apparently, and we were greeted loudly by our large, dysfunctional family as soon as we walked through the door. They'd pushed together a few tables in the center of the bar, and had already ordered various beverages.

I didn't know if it was the crazy-happy looks on mine and Sookie's faces that gave us away, or if it was Amelia's innate talent of zeroing in on the new, sparkly thing on Sookie's finger. Either way, all it took was a shriek from the jewelry banshee to confirm our news. Soon, we were engulfed in hugs, kisses, and manly slaps on the back (for me, anyway). I was deliriously happy. I got Sookie, and a built-in extended family.

The week went on like any other. Sookie had decided to take a little break from writing so she could get everything properly settled at home. I offered to help, but she insisted she could take care of it, since I had a new business to run. She'd also managed to take on planning the wedding, with the help of Amelia, Laf and Pam. Although, she admitted, with the three of them helping, there wasn't much to do. We wanted simple. Pam was taking care of the catering, Laf was in charge of decorations, and Amelia was helping Sookie with the wardrobe. She deferred to me on a few things, but in all honesty, we were making it easy on ourselves by keeping it small. I'd never seen a bride-to-be so calm.

Sookie was adamant she was already far ahead of her writing schedule, so she could afford the extra time to get everything done. She got me settled very quickly at home, helped by the fact that I didn't have a lot of personal items. But there were some adjustments to be made, one of which was redecorating the upstairs office to make room for me, and to make it a little more gender-neutral.

By mid week, I was starting to get worried Sookie was overdoing it. She'd moved furniture, and repainted the entire room. It had been green and white before, but she changed the walls to a light grey color, keeping her white desk, and adding my own black one. We each had our own corners, with black and white shelving. She loved her lime green, so she added some accents here and there. I wondered why she hadn't been an interior decorator.

Every night that week, even though I was home before the club closed, Sookie had already been in bed, fast asleep. I repeatedly reminded her, trying not to nag, that she'd been sick, and would be again if she didn't slow down. She gave me a spiel about not wanting to "sit around like a bump on a log". My woman was nothing if not stubborn.

Saturday night rolled around, and though Sookie had planned on coming into work with me, she decided she was too tired at the last minute. While a little disappointed, I knew it was better for her to rest up. I hated seeing her so run down, and I wasn't about to give in to my own selfish need of wanting to always have her with me. I'd pout a little later in the privacy of my office at work.

Still, something more than selfish need was bothering me tonight. Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was already ten. I'd been at the club for three hours, working on invoices. I had a nagging feeling at the back of my mind. Something, somewhere, was off. When I couldn't shake it, I grabbed my leather jacket off the back of my chair, and shut down my computer. I just wanted to be at home, and I sure as hell wasn't getting a lot done if I couldn't concentrate. After letting Pam know I was leaving, I headed to the car, anxious to get to my love.

When I was about ten minutes from the house, I picked up the phone and called Sookie. I didn't think I would wake her, and I wanted to ask if she needed me to pick up anything for her on my way. My heart started beating a little faster when all I got was a busy signal. I hung up and rationalized she might be dialing out to someone at that very moment. I called again. Still busy. My heart was in my throat. Something was wrong.

I might have been overreacting, but I didn't care. I called the BTPD, and let them know Sookie was unreachable. Since they were well aware of our problems with her demented ex, they told me they'd send an officer over right away. I knew I'd make it there first, and told them so. They told me to be careful and help was on the way.

The house was shining brightly through the trees as I pulled down our long driveway. All the lights were on, which was an oddity in itself because Sookie was big on saving energy. I pulled up to the house and bolted out of the car. This was all wrong.

The front door was locked, as it normally would be. I burst into the house, leaving the door wide open. I called out to Sookie, but got nothing.

I frantically ran from room to room on the ground floor, so quickly I almost missed her. She was laying on her back, behind the family room couch, motionless. I let out a strangled cry as I ran to her and dropped down to her side. There was blood on the floor near her head, from a large gash on her forehead. She was breathing deeply, and normally, it seemed, but was unconscious.

Cursing that I'd left my phone in the car, I dashed around the kitchen, looking for the house phone so I could call an ambulance. As I frantically looked, a few things happened simultaneously. I heard movement from both the front door, and the back door, where the laundry room was. A voice called out for me from the front, to inform me the police were here. I immediately recognized Andy Bellefleur's voice, and I hollered at him from where I was. I turned toward the laundry room, and focused on what I was hearing.

Godric. How had I missed him? Why didn't I wonder right away where he was? Worried he was hurt, just as Sookie was, I made my way over. Just as I was about to enter the room, I heard a deep growl, and a high pitched whimper. It sounded like a woman crying, but I couldn't be sure. What the fuck?

I wasn't prepared for the sight before me. Andy came up behind me, and had the same reaction I did. I felt rage, and complete and utter amusement. If I wasn't so worried about Sookie, I certainly would have enjoyed the scene before me a lot more.

Godric was fine and dandy, alright. He was growling deeply, bent over a whining and bloody Bill Compton. Godric's teeth were locked onto Bill's ass cheek.

The little weasel's psychotic behavior had literally come back to bite him in the ass. Fucking karma. Such a wonderful thing.

SPOV

Eric was right. I'd been overdoing it again. I had help planning our little wedding, but there was still a lot to think about. I also worked tirelessly on the office and house all week, trying to get Eric properly settled. But I was happy to do it. It was an exciting feeling for me, working on the house, now our home, and not just mine. I couldn't wait to get married and really start our lives together. I was on cloud nine.

As I worked, I noticed how tired I was getting. I knew it wouldn't kill me to slow down a bit. But it led me to believe I'd never really allowed myself the time to get better after I was sick. Maybe sleep wasn't as overrated as I'd convinced myself it was.

Eric wasn't so much disappointed as he was worried, when he came home every night only to find me already sound asleep. Not that our love life was really affected. We still went at it like bunnies, only more during the daylight hours. I was certainly a lover of morning nookie. Lovely way to wake up, I think.

On Saturday, after Eric had gone to the club, I told myself to have a quiet, do nothing night. So, I installed myself on the family room couch, with a bowl of popcorn and some sweet tea. I had set up the first disc of the first season of "Supernatural" in the DVD player, and had Godric snuggled up to me like a living pillow.

I'd managed to make it through three episodes, when Godric suddenly perked his head up. Grabbing the remote, I paused the DVD and listened with him.

"What is it, boy?" He grunted in response, and jumped off the couch, stalking toward the laundry room door. I grabbed the cordless phone, and followed him, very slowly, and very cautiously.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I heard a loud crash, and an angry bark from Godric. I whimpered when it was followed by a muffled thud and a high pitched yelp. Godric!

Maybe it was stupid of me, but I ran toward the sound. Godric was part of my family, and I was terrified he was really hurt. As I made my way over to him, I switched on the phone, about to dial for the police, when it was knocked out of my hand, by a sneering Bill Compton.

"Well, hello, my darling. Miss me?" Ugh. I swallowed deeply, willing the bile back down my throat. The way he called me "darling" was enough to make me lose my popcorn.

"You're fucking crazy, Bill. You're not supposed to be here. You know that. You need help!" He was standing in front of the back door, which he'd violently kicked in. He started slowly advancing toward me, and I backed away from him, not wanting him any closer. I glanced down and saw Godric on his side. His breathing was a little funny, but he was awake and aware. The asshole must have kicked him, and hard. I wanted to kill him.

"But darling, I'm here for you. I'm here to take you away so we can get on with our lives together. Don't you see? We were meant to be, we're soul mates. I want us to be married. Oh, Sookie, we'll make such beautiful children! I know it's what you've really been wanting... I know how much you miss me..." He had a crazy smirk plastered on his lips. He'd gone completely, all-out, psychotic nutbar. Holy shit.

I'd backed into the family room, and he was still advancing. Despite my fear, I still refused to give in to him. I didn't want to play along. I know that's what I probably should have done, but at the moment, my common sense had flown out the window, and had been replaced by utter revulsion. He was batshit, and I wasn't going to let him win.

"You're insane. The police will be here soon, and they'll lock you up, Bill. I sure as hell am not leaving here with you. I'm not going to marry you, EVER. The thought of being with you again makes me want to throw up. You never deserved me, Bill. You deserve to rot in jail!"

Even though I meant every word, I regretted them right away. The crazy smile melted off his face, and he went stone-faced. That is, until he glanced down at my left hand. I could see the anger boiling to the surface. Uh oh.

"Darling," he seethed, "what is that on your finger?" His breathing became ragged, and his eyes were practically bugging out of his head. Okay, panicking might be a good thing right now.

I took a deep breath. Well, no hiding it now. "I'm getting married, Bill. And it's sure as hell not to you."

He seemed to take in the new information for a moment, then he lost it entirely. He bellowed and turned to smash his fist into a framed painting on the wall. The glass shattered around him, and he moved to grab the floor lamp like a baseball bat, swinging it right into the wall. It broke into pieces, but he didn't let go. Instead, he turned back to me.

"You are mine, Sookie. Don't you ever forget that. You're going to pay for this. No woman of mine will be running about town like a common whore. You're an embarrassment," he seethed.

I wasn't sure what he was about to do, so I was unprepared when he lunged at me with the broken piece of lamp in his hand. He swung back, and brought it down across my head. There was blinding pain, and I felt myself crumple to the floor.

I was fading fast; I could feel consciousness slipping away, but I could have sworn I heard Bill curse and run off. There was a loud growl and bark, and the sound of Bill screaming in pain. After that, everything faded to black.

There was a bright light around me when I swam back up to consciousness. Heaven? No. I doubted heaven smelled like disinfectant and bad food. Nope. I was in the hospital.

I let my eyes flutter open and adjust to the light. I was on a bed, in a flattering hospital gown. I could feel a bandage around my head, which at the moment, felt like a giant, throbbing blimp. I swallowed and looked down, feeling a warm weight on my hand. Eric.

He was sound asleep, and looked terribly uncomfortable. Clutching my left hand, he was folded into a chair far too tiny for his massive frame. His head was resting on the bed, against my hip. I reached over with my right hand to stroke his hair, and he stirred immediately.

"Umph... Sookie?" He sat up and looked at me, still groggy from the obviously terrible sleep he'd just had.

"Hi, baby," I said. I didn't know what else to say.

There were tears in his eyes as he reached up and stroked my cheek. He brought my hand to his lips, and inhaled, kissing my palm. "Lover, what am I going to do with you?" He had a look of both worry and relief on his face.

"You're going to marry me, silly!" I laughed quietly.

He laughed with me. After a moment, he left the room to flag down the doctor, and to let everyone know I was alright. Apparently, the entire family was in the waiting room.

Eric was smiling as he came back into the room, followed by a handsome older man. He moved back to my side, and held my hand, sitting back in the chair as the doctor spoke.

"Hello, my dear, so glad to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Brigant, and we've been looking after you since your young man brought you in. Quite a bump on the head you have!" I couldn't help but smile. Dr. Brigant had such a warm disposition, and I instantly felt at ease. He was almost grandfatherly.

He went on, "I fixed you up rather nicely, so there shouldn't be any scarring. It took six stitches, and you have a mild concussion, but you'll be good as new in no time."

He asked what I remembered, and I told them both everything. Eric was furious, but I squeezed his hand to reassure him I was fine.

Dr. Brigant went on to explain to Eric that I'd need plenty of rest, and to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Eric nodded, and he took a prescription for some painkillers the doctor handed him. When he was handed a second piece of paper, Eric looked back up at him quizzically.

Dr. Brigant chuckled, then explained. "Now, this is certainly nothing to worry over. Sookie, you only hurt your head tonight. We ran tests for everything else, just to be sure. That," he nodded toward the list in Eric's hand, "is a list of vitamins to take, as well as the contact information for a few different doctors, should you need them."

Eric and I looked at each other, still not understanding.

The doctor beamed at us. "Congratulations, both of you. Sookie, you're pregnant."

A/N: *laughs diabolically* Mouah ha ha! Yes, I went there. I won't make you wait too long this time, though, so instead of plotting my death, perhaps a review instead? Hmm? Yes!

The lyrics for "Dance With You" are by Live. Not me. Check out the song on youtube. It's probably the most romantic song I've ever heard.. *sniff*

Just remove the spaces:

http:/ youtu. be / XxqYigFwUTQ

Love you guys! ~Keri