Chapter 28 – What the Hell?

A/N: ahhh…answers….sweet sweet answers…you may or may not have some at the end of this chappy. It will really be up to if you have kept up with the plot bunnies. HUGS

I love my BETA team of kjwrit and sassyvampmama… they take good care of me. Thanks for all the well wishes while I have been sick! Strep throat sucks… as always, I own nothing CH does.

LAST TIME (EPOV) – Eric and Sookie are finally alone and are able to reaffirm their love and trust in each other.

"I love you. I love you…" our words were the same as we smiled at each other. The only other moment I had ever in my existence been as happy was when my children were born. We reached our completions together and I smiled again at Sookie and whispered,

"You will be a magnificent vampire."

"I know." She giggled. "Eric, will you clean me up? I am just too tired to move on my own. Will you bathe me?"

"Of course I will Lover." That bath led to more wonderful things as I got her dirty again before I cleaned her. She was so tired and I took extra care to make her feel loved and comfortable. As we climbed into bed together she settled between my legs and laid her head on my chest to prepare to go to sleep. She grinned and whispered,

"Eric, do I really snore?" To which I replied,

"No Lover, you make these sweet little noises that I covet and love to hear." This answer seemed to please her as she snuggled against me. Soon she was making her cooing noises and I knew that she would soon be asleep. I pulled her further up my chest and for the second time in my existence I prayed to her God. "Thank you. Thank you for giving her to me. Help me deserve her and give her everything she deserves." With that said I let the dawn take me for the day.

SPOV

Almost one month had passed since Ocella tried to kill us all. Both Eric and I talked extensively about that night and finally decided that we all did the right thing allowing Ocella's children to live. They all hated him and were settling in nicely to life in Louisiana. Some had requested to leave the state and go back to Europe so Eric made those vampire pledge fealty to Marcus since he sat on the European council. Meanwhile, we were all getting ready for the official coronation where Eric would take the throne in a big ole vampire whoop-to-do.

Marcus, Laurell, Alexander and Lillianna were planning on going home to Eastern Europe after the coronation. Marcus was still looking into the whole "Can I have a baby with Eric?" question, while Laurell was in full-on mom mode with me, Jason, Sven, Livy and Eric. She was in heaven doting on us like there was no tomorrow she especially loved taking care of Jason and me. It was almost like she was trying to make up for lost time. I get that. I did that sometimes with Eric. We had only lost a month and yet I couldn't seem to do enough to make up for that, but I couldn't even imagine missing out on someone I loved life for twenty-something years. I get that she felt like she has to fit everything in before they went home, but I kept reminding her that I could always pop over to see her whenever she wanted. I figured if I could pop between realms I can surely handle trans-Atlantic pops! I was really enjoying getting to know her and listening to her and Marcus' stories.

Lillianna and Alex were spending most of their time with Belinda and Pam. Belinda and Lillianna spent every day talking and Christean finally took Belinda to Faery one afternoon. She was totally in awe of the place. Even I understood that because while the one time I had been there was not under the best circumstances, I thought it was wonderful and I decided I would take a trip there with Christean and Niall after the coronation. Pam had developed a close friendship with Lillianna and Alex. The relationship she had with them pleased Belinda and all of them were ALL about pleasing Belinda.

Sven and Livy had decided they would stay here. Livy met her parents at one of Eric's businesses after hours one night and they seemed to make some head way. Her mother sat and held her for a very long time, but her father was a little stand-offish. Afterward Livy said they never had a great relationship to begin with and yet Livy's mother's reaction help restore my faith in humanity somewhat. I realized how much I started looking down on humans as a whole, even though I technically was one. Livy was very happy on our way home that night as she made plans to go shopping with her mom and sister the following week in the evening. Sven was smiling gently at her as she made her plans. I'd thought he saw her in a brotherly/maker sort of way, but the way he was looking at her in the car made me wonder. I didn't really know what to think about that since she was only 17, but now that she was a vampire did that rule really count anymore? I would have to think about that later.

Sven wasn't Eric's biological brother, but he had been a kinsman from Eric's village though. His human life was the price Eric had to pay when Ocella had allowed him to see his children; the price being to make Eric pick someone for Ocella to turn. He had to choose between his son and his cousin. Eric had been particularly close with his cousin Sven, who was the son of Eric's mother's sister. Eric had blamed himself for centuries for Sven's fate and the fact that Ocella had never released Sven had haunted Eric for years.

Sophie-Anne took Andre and my cousin along with her other children home to France. Hadley called me from there and said that Remy said Hunter could visit her if he could come too. Hadley seemed very happy about that. She invited me to come see them and begged me to visit Hunter as often as I could. She seemed to think that if Remy saw there were "good" vampires and other Supes he would be more apt to let her keep her relationship with him once she was turned. I was fine with that since I really wanted to get to know the little fellow.

Pam and Belinda were still enjoying their bonding. Belinda had Lillianna tell her father about her bonding to a vampire. She was so afraid to disappoint him, but she was so happy that she refused to hide any part of her relationship with Pam. Christean took the news surprisingly well. He gave Pam a little nudge and asked when she would pledge to his daughter and make an honest woman out of her. That caused Belinda to blush and Pam to smile like a loon. I knew in that moment that Pam was planning something and that she wanted to pledge to Belinda. I knew it would only be a matter of time until I was throwing some huge elaborate pledging ceremony which was fine by me.

Pam was still planning a wedding for Eric and I. She was pressuring us for a date but there was so much to do with the coronation I was able to back her down on that one. I already felt married to my vampire, so even though I did want the white dress wedding and for the state of Louisiana to recognize us as man and wife; it was not a priority to me like it used to be. I loved my ring, it was so beautiful, and whenever I used my magic it would shine and glow. Laurell said it was due to my Fae magic and because I was in love the ring would glow for me. When she had worn the ring she was not in love with Niall so there was no magic. Laurell was a firm believer in love being a form of magic and to be honest I now did as well. Now that I have been loved by Eric I saw that love and magic are entwined deeply within each other. Not to mention that whenever I felt tired from using my powers all it took to recharge me was for him to hold me in arms and BAM I felt all powered up. He's like a cell phone charger for my body!

Eric and I, well we're doing…well. We discussed in great length the horrible mistake we made in him not speaking his mind the night I went after Jason. He had a feeling that something was off but he was too afraid to tell me his true feelings so as to not start a fight with me. He thought I would think he was trying to 'handle' me. We also spoke about me and my mistake of once again not asking his advice and more importantly not letting Thalia protect me. He had sent her to protect me and I had TOTALLY disregarded that and forced her to protect Arlene's kids instead. It was a cluster-fuck of a night for both of us. We still had a long way to go in communicating with each other and dealing with our pride, but we were working on it and realized it was a problem. Laurell and Marcus both agreed that was going to be half of the battle for us.

Today I just had to work on getting out of wearing the crown Eric insisted I wear at the coronation. I thought we shouldn't flaunt that I would be the first human Vampire Queen. In my opinion I was already getting way too much press and the huge crown would only add fuel to the fire. There was a small uprising over it the week after Eric took the throne, but he squashed it very quickly and with an iron fist. It was really sexy; he came home all bloody and full of lust, mmmm… 'God what is wrong with me?' I was pulled from my plotting and planning by my vampire's sweet voice.

"Good Evening Lover… and no I don't care what others think. That crown belongs to the Queen of Louisiana and you are the Queen of Louisiana. You will wear the crown." Oh he so should NOT have phrased it that that way. We were still lying in bed so I jumped up and shouted,

"You high-handed, pig-headed, overbearing Neanderthal! You can NOT make me wear that crown!"

"Yes I can" he said so sweetly and matter of fact like that it pissed me off even more.

"NO you can't!" I said a little more emphatically but he simply replied,

"Yes I can." Once again his voice was sweet and very sure. It was like he knew something I didn't know and that made my temper flare again.

"No you can't! I won't go… you will just have to get sworn in or whatever in the hell they do without me. I will be here in sweatpants watching Oprah on the DVR." I stomped my foot in addition to my pout. He sat up to look at me with the sweetest look on his face and he spoke to me so gently it took me by surprise.

"My beloved wife, it would please me if you would wear the crown and sit by my side. If you would do this for me I would consider it a great favor. I know you hold no value in such things as the crown and that you find it ostentatious, but it means something to me that you are crowned with me." His voice had never risen. He hadn't even got out of the bed. I climbed back into bed with him and said,

"Well after you say it like that… alright… but baby I just think it is drawing more attention to me and there are so many vampires who don't want a human queen."

"You are not human, exactly." He smiled as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Maybe not, but I'm definitely not a vampire. And I'm not ready to be turned yet, so that is how they will view me, as a human." I sighed as I tried to make sense of my feelings.

"Do you really want me to turn you one day Sookie? Have you changed your mind? Is that what this is about?" he asked with hurt, fear and trepidation in his voice.

"Oh baby… of course I want you to be my maker." I said as I let him into my mind. I showed him my fantasy of him teaching me to feed and hunt. He raised his eyebrow and smiled as he asked,

"Really, you want me to teach you to hunt? You will hunt people for food?" He was almost shocked, but I had thought about it for a long time and I figured if you are going to be a vamp…be a REAL vamp!

"Well bad people… I am not going to hunt down catholic school girls or anything."

"You have no idea what you are missing, most catholic school girls are virgins or back in the day they were and their blood is/was delicious." I could tell by the way his voice ran off and the look on his face that he had spoken out of turn. I forgot sometimes that he was a killer and had probably killed innocent people for food in the past. I guess he picked up on that as he continued,

"It was different then. We never knew when our next meal would come so you would have to gorge yourself to survive. I tried to just glamour and take what I needed, but sometimes I would be so hungry…" he had a faraway look in his eyes, "so damn hungry I could not control it, but I was much younger then. There is a girl that still haunts me to this day. I did not mean to kill her she was so young, so beautiful and so full of life. I think she is why I try so hard with Belinda and Livy. They are my penance." He smiled a sad smile.

"You think God gave you Belinda and Livy to protect since you could not protect the other girl?"

"You mean, since I killed the other girl, Sookie. It wasn't like she accidently died and I did not protect her. I KILLED HER. And yes, in my religion that is not unheard of, I believe that Odin has sent me these girls to do right by since I failed the other. The same belief holds true for me in that he sent me Pam to do right by, since I lost Lydia."

"So why did Odin send me to you?" I had no idea what I had expected him to say, but what he said was a surprise.

"In the beginning I believed it was to punish me, to remind me of all the things I did wrong in my human life and my early existence as a vampire. I believed it was to remind me that I would never again feel or deserve love, but somewhere along the way I now believe your God intervened and has finally granted me peace. Odin did not give you to me; your God did." He said with such conviction I believed him.

"I think that momma and daddy had something to do with it too! They are in heaven and I know they wanted me to be safe and happy so I think they had a hand it in as well." I smiled as Eric held me in his arms and he said one more thing that surprised me.

"Sookie, I will be a better husband to you than I was to Aude. I loved Aude but I left her frequently for exploring and adventuring when I did not have to. I did not take good enough care of her. If I had been home she wouldn't have gotten sick while pregnant with our last baby. She would not have died and our baby would have lived." He said in that far away voice that I know means he was lost in the past. I dipped into his mind and watched him lay Aude and the baby on their death bed. I saw the tears in his eyes and felt the loss in his heart as he held the dead baby one last time. I watched him pick up a crying Aunna and rock her back and forth before I spoke. It was the most selfish thought I had ever voiced.

"But you wouldn't have been on that road looking for a new wife if they had not died and you would have never been turned. Even though I hated Ocella and I loved seeing his head fly from his body, I am grateful he turned you so that I can have you now. Does that make me a horrible person?" I asked with tears in my eyes. They were tears of shame for my selfishness and for the thought of not having him.

"No my wife, it does not. I love you so." And as if he read my mind and who knows he may have peaked, he'd said exactly what I needed to hear, "I will take care of you. I will never let you be hurt. I won't leave you Sookie. I promise."

"Oh baby, I know you won't leave me and you are a wonderful husband. I love you and I will wear that silly crown if it makes you happy." I smiled as I promised myself to be less selfish where he was concerned. He smirked, his sexy smirk, as he waggled his eyebrows at me and said,

"I knew you would see it my way Lover."

"That is what you meant by 'Yes I can?' You had already planned on telling me all of this so you knew I would change my mind and say yes, didn't you?" I asked with a slight laugh to my voice and I realized that while he'd meant every word he'd said, I had been 'handled' very well.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Lover. We really should call Pam to see if she can come over for a final fitting for her gown and yours. I will call the tailor." He smiled as he reached for his cell phone on the night stand.

"Her name is Vera, Eric. Vera Wang, she is a very famous designer and she is going to do my wedding dress too." I informed him and that was much to Pam's chagrin. She had her heart set on some famous vampire designer, but I wanted Vera and I could afford Vera so I was getting Vera!

"Of course Lover, whatever you say." He began to make phone calls as I tried to sit down and figure out exactly when I lost the fight over the crown… Oh hell it was probably when he said "Good Evening Lover."

EPOV (2 weeks later)

Tonight Sookie and I will be crowned formally in the coronation of the century. I had meant for it to be a small affair, but Pam had planned it so I signed my own death warrant on that one. Royals from across the country would be there so I would have to be on guard to protect my beloved at all times. I was not happy about the fact that Felipe DeCastro had requested a meeting with me prior to the Coronation. He wanted to speak with me at the brief informal get together held before the ceremony saying it was of the utmost importance that he be granted an audience with me. I had a room set up off the main hall to accommodate his request.

I called Niall and advised him that I wanted the Royal Guard for Sookie if he thought he would be able to hide their scents from all the vampires. He said that he would send two of the older Fae guards and the rest would be on stand-by should there be any problems. None of the visiting dignitaries were allowed bring entourages; so we were not expecting an uprising but if two or more joined together to attempt to overthrow the state we could have trouble. That was the main reason I was glad that Marcus, Laurell, Alexander, Lillianna, Niall, Christean, Pam and Sven would all be there. I still considered Belinda and Livy cannon fodder and worried that if there was an attack they would just be two more for us to protect, but as much as I love Belinda and care for Livy, my main priority would be my Beloved, my Sookie.

My Sookie, last night was so special to us. She'd told me of the time after her parents died and how sad she had become. She had let me into places in her heart that she normally kept hidden from me. She told me about the dreams she had been having about our children. She told me how she wanted to take me to Sweden for our honeymoon trip. I smiled remembering the conversations and sweet touches of the night before.

"Sookie, why do you never speak of your parents?"

"The same reason you don't talk about your children. It hurts too much."

"If you ever need to talk to me, I will listen."

"Thank you, baby, I was just so depressed after they died. At first I could go to their graves and I would feel so much better afterward. Sometimes I would swear I could even smell momma on my clothes after going down there, but after a time it didn't feel that way anymore. It started feeling like I was missing something even more. I was just so empty. Like the loss was even deeper somehow. I don't know how to explain it. It got better but I quit visiting their graves after that." She sighed and snuggled closer to me. She took a deep breath and I knew she was about to say something big but I had no clue where she was going.

"Eric, I have to tell you something. You know I have told you about the baby dreams right?" I nodded and she continued,

"Well, I haven't just been seeing them in my dreams. I see them around the house and I hear their voices. I see them at different ages. I thought I was going crazy so I talked to Marcus about it and he is looking into some old magic and old rumors for me, well for us." She looked down realizing I was a bit taken aback that not only had she kept something like that from me but went to Marcus instead of me.

"Sookie, why didn't you come to me to talk to about this? I am your bonded and pledged. How could you tell Marcus and not me?" I asked somewhat hurt and confused.

"Eric, I thought I was going crazy. I mean I am seeing phantom children! I have been CRAZY fucking Sookie all my damn life! You have been the ONLY person to ever think I was special and not crazy. I was afraid you would finally see…." She began to cry… damn it I hate it when she cries.

"You are afraid I would finally see what?" I coaxed softly as I stroked her hair.

"Eric, I'm broken. My insides are all broken." She sobbed into my chest.

"I know, Sookie. So am I. Do you love me any less knowing how abused I have been in my past? Do you love me any less knowing how I have failed as a maker or how I have killed?" I asked and she sniffed as she looked up at me.

"No it makes me want to love you more. I feel like if I love you 'hard' that's not the right word, but you know like if I just do more and love you more I could erase some of the bad that has happened to you." She hiccupped. That was actually a good sign. She always got the hiccups after she was finished crying. I smiled and said,

"Sookie, I love you because you are broken. I love you for who you are every piece even the broken pieces. Just like you, I want to love you more, deeper so that I can heal the broken pieces. Don't you see, every time we make love we heal each other just a little bit more? Haven't you notice, aren't you having a hard time remembering hurts of the past?"

"You know, I used to think about Uncle Bartlett and how he hurt me almost every time after we had sex, but now I never think about him anymore. I can talk about momma and daddy and not cry and I can talk about Gran and not think about her murder... oh my stars…Eric?" she smiled a confused but happy smile.

"I know Sookie, I used to think of Lydia, Aude and Aunna and it would hurt me so much. All I could feel was the loss of them, but now I can remember happy times. I can talk about the first time Lydia flew with me and she threw up, on me…" we chuckled together and I continued, "I can tell you about Aude and Aunna without the heartbreaking pain and guilt." I smiled.

"So every time we make love we help heal the other's broken parts?" she questioned.

"That is my theory and I believe I am right. It is the only explanation." We held each other for a very long time just trying to comprehend everything we had just realized. Sookie spoke first,

"Eric, I really want to have your baby. I don't know why but I think I might be able to and that is why I keep putting off you turning me." she sighed and rubbed her face on my chest.

"I know."

"You know."

"Yes, the last time we talked about it being your dream I had a feeling that you were holding something back from me. If it can be done Lover, I would be honored. But Sookie if it is just a dream will you be able to let it go?"

"Yes, for you. I can do anything for you." She smiled and lit her little hands with her light filling the room. For the rest of the evening we showed each other just how much we loved each other.

I was brought from my thoughts by Thalia. She was walking toward me smiling and to be honest I don't think I had ever seen her smile like this. I then realized she was not smiling at me but at Christean. He had been here all day helping the Were go over the main hall for security, but now I see that is not why he had stayed. He had stayed for her. He had the look, the one I reserve for only Sookie. We were all in the Private Royal Suite waiting on the girls to get ready. Christean reached for Thalia's hand as she reached for him as well and he kissed her hand and said,

"You look so beautiful my darling." Thalia would have blushed if she could I think. I continued to hear rustling and every once in a while I would hear Sookie protest and Pam yell but I knew they would work it out on their own so I remained with Christean and Thalia. Slowly my 'Men in Arms' started to filter into the room Marcus, Alexander, Niall, Bill and Alcide all sat down to wait on the lady of the hour, My Sookie. Laurell and Lillianna came out first and I heard Lilli whisper to Alex,

"Be ready, he may pass out when he sees her. Her magic did something the moment we sat the crowns on her head. She is… she looks…otherworldly." It was decided that the two crowns that Sookie was entitled to wear, would be used. Her Brigant crown was to fit inside and wound into the larger Queen's crown. Both crowns were surrounded in mystery and magic but apparently Sookie's own particular magic had caused some type of reaction. The crown was nothing like the pageant crowns of today's world. It reminded me of the crown I saw while Sookie watched the movie "Everafter" and I had no doubt the crown would be spectacular on her.

Pam and Belinda then entered with Livy who looked much older than her 17 human years. Sven had a familiar look on his face as well. I would have to speak with him on that later. She was vampire now and that made the rules different for courting her, but I would make sure she was handled with care. Laurell seemed to catch the look too but she shook her head no at me.

"To Livy, this is the Prom she did not get to go to and Sven is her knight in shining armor. We will worry about the rest later. Tonight we let them have this. I have spoken with him." she whispered.

"How is Sookie? Who is with her now?"

"Claudine." Belinda answered, "She is helping Sookie with the last little part of her look and she is on the phone with Sophie-Anne with some last minute details."

That was surprising, but I understood that Sookie wanted the coronation to be perfect for me. She did not care for any of this and through our bond I could feel her trepidation but she was doing this for me. I could feel her resolution and determination to make me proud and the thoughts coming from her made me smile.

I was about to start pacing again when I saw her walk in the door…Oh fuck me… I was never going to make it through the ceremony. I would take her on the damn stage in front of everyone. She glowed with magic and her smile was so bright it lit the whole room. Her gown was silver and gold but somehow translucent the beading was intricate and made her and the gown look so delicate. There were no words to describe her beauty and grace, she was truly a Queen. She looked into the room at all the people she loved. She squeezed Claudine's hand and then started walking around the room to hug her family. She spared me several lingering glances; it seemed that she too was lusting after me.

She walked to me and took me in her arms and I melted into her embrace. She stroked my back and arms and went up on her tip toes as I bent down to kiss her. It was a nice LONG kiss that made me want more. It took her breath away. Her brother had just walked into the room and broke us from our embrace with the statement,

"Seriously, dude, THAT IS MY sister. I know you are married and all but COME ON…you can't keep doing that out where I can just walk in and see it." He also made a little choking noise and did a little shimmy shake that cause everyone including me to laugh. I turned back to my beloved and told her,

"You are so beautiful Sookie. I love you! Are you ready to go greet the people of your monarchy?" I asked and she smiled and said, "Yes," and with that we were lining up to start the procession. I reminded everyone of the short stop we had to make to greet DeCastro and to be on guard. I opened the door nodding to Rasul and my Royal guards before turning to Bill, Alcide, and the Fae Royal guard. Sookie spared a sweet smile to Bill and Alcide as they fell in line close to her. We had practiced this as you would for a wedding and the sole purpose was to keep Sookie in the middle of the large group of people that would willingly die to protect her. We would walk in and be announced there would be a small time to mingle with the guests, the short meeting with DeCastro, then the ceremony and finally a ball. We vampires are big on balls… I smiled at my inner monologue and Sookie snickered as I realized she had heard the "balls" comment.

After we were introduced I saw DeCastro moving toward us a little too fast for my liking. I then notice that Stan Davis, the King of Texas, Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi, his boyfriend Bartlett Crowe, the King of Indiana and Constance Travis, the newly crowned Queen of Alabama moved behind us as if to offer aid. We rushed at DeCastro and pushed him and the two vampires with him toward the hall off the main area. Once behind closed doors it was then that I realized the other vampires were not offering me aid. They were with DeCastro. My worst fears of an overthrow were coming to pass; an attempted coup d'état.

Stan called out, "Sookie Stackhouse are you under duress?"

"No! Stan, WHAT. THE. HELL?" Sookie screamed at him from our tight little group. "I don't want to hurt any of you… what are you doing? Are you trying to overthrow our state?" She instinctively had lit her hands as she spoke to Stan but it was Russell who answered her.

"No Sookie, we would never do that to you… to him maybe, but that is neither here nor there." Russell drawled out in his Southern accent. Just then DeCastro stepped forward and Sookie and he caught each other's eyes. He smiled a genuine smile and she looked and felt confused for a moment but then she beamed as she broke through her wall of protectors and ran to DeCastro's open arms. She giggled as she leapt into his arms.

It was my turn to say, "WHAT. THE. HELL?"

A/N oh my goodness… what do you think that was? Have you paid attention when momma minion told you to? Remember all those times I said to "Pay attention LOTS of information and plot here? If you did as momma told you… You have ANSWERS…Sweet Sweet Answers…if you didn't then you are mad at me and you have to wait 'til next Tuesday! Curse me if you will, I love you anyway my baby minions!

OH all right… maybe if you leave a review I will give you a hint… it may not be a sneak of the next chappy but a good hint. HUGS