I DON'T OWN SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES OR ANY RESEMBLANCE THEREOF.
BIG KISSES TO MY LOVELY BETA, HOPESTREET WHO ONCE AGAIN WRANGLED ALL MY COMAS INTO SUBMISSION, AND HELPED ME FIGURE THIS CHAPTER OUT. AND ANOTHER SLOPPY KISS TO ZEEWRITER, WHO HELPED OUT BIG TIME AS WELL! THANKS YOU BEAUTIFUL LADIES!
OK GUYS, SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER AND THEN AN EPILOGUE…. ENJOY.
Chapter 28 - Plans
The day after we landed, I got a call from Niall. Pleasantries aside he told me that Eric and I were to meet him and Lafayette at Rockefeller Plaza in two days. They wouldn't take no for an answer; they wouldn't tell us why. All we could do was blindly agree. While I unpacked, Eric went to the club to check on things and to see Pam.
While I hung my stunning new Parisian finds, I found the gifts for Tara's 'peanut' and gave her a call. Three hours later, she was at my apartment cooing over the adorable bags and blankets and clothes. She did in fact salivate over my new red satin skirt and made me promise to lend it to her when she was back to her 'normal' size. Not that she was even showing yet, but she insisted that everything was feeling a little tight, like she was constantly bloated or something.
We giggled and jabbered on and on about the baby, how JB had signed them up for all kinds of baby classes, and that they were thinking of buying an apartment somewhere in Brooklyn. They had been saving for a while, but didn't think their timeline would be pushed forward so quickly. Luckily, JB's parents were going to help.
Time flew as we looked at places online and made plans for baby room colors and checked out the latest trends in cribs and rockers. When Tara got a call from JB asking what she wanted for dinner, I told him to stop by, and we'd all order something. I called Eric who said to start without him, that he was still wrapping things up at the club.
Eric got home at 9, and I handed him a slice of pizza. After we had exhausted all the dirty jokes we knew, the conversation went straight to the wedding. Tara brought it up actually; she wanted to know if she would have to buy a maternity gown or not. Honestly, we hadn't really thought about any of it until just then.
We just looked at each other dumbly. Well, what did we want? I had always thought of a small southern affair; trees in bloom, all my bridesmaids in yellow with daisies in their hair, Grandma's fried chicken, and everyone barefoot feasting on picnic tables. That dream died along with Gran though. Louisiana wasn't home anymore, and Gran's fried chicken recipe went to grave with her.
"I don't really know anymore Tara. Eric?"
"All that matters is that you become mine… legally that is."
"Sweet, but a total cop out."
He shrugged.
"Well," I started, "it's not like we're in any rush, and we'll figure it out right?"
"They're late."
"Probably stuck in traffic Sookie. Take some breaths, ok?"
We were standing at the exact entrance at Rockefeller Center, at the exact time requested, waiting for Niall and Lafayette. Curiosity was getting the best of me, and their being 15 minutes late was not helping matters. Another 10 minutes passed with me fidgeting and squirming and pacing before I heard a car honking. Their car pulled up, and the driver ran around to open the door.
Lafayette came out first apologizing profusely for being late. There was construction on Park Avenue and things were moving at a snail's pace. Niall joined us a few moments later, and when I couldn't take it anymore, I burst.
"Dear lord! Just tell me why we're here already!"
They looked at each other and smirked.
"Come with us kids," said Niall. We made our way inside and up the elevators. When the doors opened, we were standing outside the Rainbow Room.
"Niall, the Rainbow Room is closed. I thought there were all kinds of management debacles. What are we doing here?" asked Eric.
Just then, Lafayette made a call, "Hi sweets…yes, we're here…ok, see you in a minute."
Niall continued. "I pulled some strings."
"You're both being cryptic. What did you pull strings for?" asked Eric.
Before Niall could answer though, an elegant young woman in a skirt suit came by with a ring of keys.
"Lafayette, Niall, it's so good to see you!" she said as she leaned into both for a round of air kisses.
"Rachel, this is Eric and Sookie."
"It's a pleasure, and congratulations," she said as she stuck her hand out to shake our hands. By now I was beyond confused and dipping into Eric's head made me laugh…senile old man, what the hell is going on!I snickered out loud, and Eric looked at me knowingly.
"Well, shall we take a look around then?" asked Rachel as she opened the doors.
It was dark, but the light coming in through the windows illuminated the room enough to make me gasp. What a view! Manhattan was laid out before us like a post card. Just then, the lights came on and a giant crystal chandelier sparkled over the round dance floor in the middle of the room.
"Do you love it?" asked Lafayette excitedly.
"Lafayette, it's amazing! It's like some amazing old Hollywood movie."
"Ok gentleman, what are we doing here!" asked Eric annoyed.
Niall looked to Lafayette and nodded.
"Have you two come up with any wedding ideas yet?"
"No…" I answered cautiously.
He clapped his hands like a little kid. "Good! Because if you want it, it's yours!"
"If we want what, Lafayette?" I asked.
Niall butt in. "I didn't think you two had made any wedding plans, so I made a few calls to some friends, and although it's not officially open anymore, the Rainbow Room is yours for the wedding... that is if you want it."
My mouth dropped open. It was… perfect! It was about as far from a backyard in Louisiana as you could get, but it was beautiful and elegant, and just so New York! I looked to Eric who was shaking his head and laughing to himself.
"You sly old man," he said as he made his way over and enveloped Niall into his big arms.
"Well, Sookie?" Eric asked when he had let Niall go.
All three men were looking at me, waiting for an answer. Like it was really a tough decision right? "Oh god, yes! Of course! It's just so perfect!" I said as I practically skipped over to them, arms wide open.
As soon as the hugs and thank you's had passed, there was a sound from behind us. I had completely forgotten about Rachel.
"There's just one small hiccup," she started. My heart sank. "The Rainbow Room is yours, but the event needs to be before the end of March. Come April, construction crews are coming in."
"March!" I blurted out. "But that's… that's… only two months from now!"
"That's fine," said Lafayette calmly. I turned to him. "Lafayette, I can't plan a wedding in two months! I have to find a caterer and flowers and music, and oh yes, lest I forget, my dress!"
"Now Sookie, you didn't really think we'd let you do all that alone did you?"
Truth was, I hadn't really thought about anything yet! The first time a wedding had even crossed our minds was when Tara asked us hours ago. Suddenly, I was getting married, in the Rainbow Room, and two friggin' months!
"You're just going to have to trust us. Between Niall, Eric, Pam and I, we can get anything you want by next week if we had to."
I looked to Niall and Eric. They both smiled; Eric winked.
I looked around the grand room again. I could just see it full of people. Some wonderful band was playing something wonderful in the background. I was twirling around the dance floor with my husband's arms around me. I could smell the food and flowers. I could see the New York skyline light up like thousands of twinkle lights for us – how could I possibly imagine being married anywhere else?
And, despite my better judgment, I sighed, then nodded and was suddenly pulled into a massive hug from Lafayette.
"Come by tomorrow, and we'll get started, ok?" he whispered into my ear.
It was the following day, and I had arranged with Lafayette that I would be there after my shift was over at Sam's place. So at 3pm, I made my way their house. After tea, Lafayette laid his second big surprise on me.
"Lafayette, what do you mean she's a close personal friend?"
"I mean sweetness; she's a close personal friend."
"I… I…" I couldn't get the words out. I wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed by the gesture or just shut up and be grateful.
"Sookie," he started in a sincere tone that made me pay attention, "I never thought I'd have the honor of giving away a daughter. It does this old queen's heart good to call in every favor I can think of for this wedding," he said honestly.
"Oh Lafayette!" I gasped as tears started rolling down my cheek. That answered my question. Shut it and be grateful, Sookie.
"Aww, now you've got me crying too!" He pulled out his lavish gold embroidered pocket square and dabbed at his watering eyes.
"So… I'm Carrie Bradshaw?" I said, wiping away the tears.
"No, sweetness, I wouldn't let you be caught dead in anything that garish! No, no, no1 I had her send over something much more Sookie and much less Carrie. And there will be no bluebirds in your hair either!"
I laughed and nodded. Although, truth be told, I thought the bird was kind of charming, actually. I obviously couldn't let him know that, though!
"You know," I started, "part of the fun of all this wedding mess is going wedding dress shopping."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Tell you what. If after you try on your perfect dress that should be delivered any minute now, and you still want to look around? I'll call in another favor, and we can be at Kleinfeld's in an hour."
No sooner had he said the words, than the bell rang. Three minutes later ,a very large box from Vivienne Westwood was waiting for us in the hall, complete with a small army of seamstress'. After said box had been rolled into the living room, and all the army had filed in, one of them went to the box with a razor and began opening it. My stomach was a jumble of nerves. What if I hated it? Could I really be honest with Lafayette and let him know? Would it break his heart? I mean, it was my day after all, right? I couldn't get married in something I didn't like, right?
The box had been opened, and the dress was buried in pink tissue paper. As layer after layer of paper was peeled away, I suddenly caught a glimpse of satin… it was pink! I plastered a smile on my face and let my insides churn. That's what happens when you let 'an old queen' choose your dress I thought. A pink satin dress… oh man! What was I going to do? Two seamstresses were covering my view when the final piece of tissue paper was tossed aside. Then there it was in all its pink satin glory.
It. Was. Exquisite.
Before I knew what was happening, Lafayette had brushed away a tear with a napkin. In a million years, I wouldn't have picked it out for myself. It wasn't traditional in any way. It was cocktail length. It was sleeveless, with a very deep sweetheart neckline, and it was indeed pink satin - but it was the prettiest shade of blush, and I knew it would compliment my hair and skin to perfection. There was an underskirt that showed at the bottom in a cream satin, and the skirt was gathered toward one side. It defied words though, and I was so in awe and so in love with that damn dress, I let myself cry a little more.
I hugged Lafayette harder than I thought humanly possible, and when he began gasping, I let go. After wiping my face, I went to try it on. I slipped into one of the spare bedrooms, and one of the ladies helped me get into it. I hadn't even noticed the black velvet bag she was carrying, but after I had put the dress on, she opened it to reveal a pair of stellar satin heels, dyed to match the dress. I actually squealed!
When I finally looked in the mirror, I was in heaven. It was amazing on − even better on me than on the hanger. It fit almost perfectly; the only thing they'd really have to work on was shortening the skirts a little. As it was, it hit just a little lower on my calf than it should have. We walked back out the living room, and everyone gasped. Niall had joined Lafayette on sofa while I had been changing, and they were grasping each other's hands as I walked toward them.
They were both beaming. I had gained so much more than just Eric over the past months. I had a family again, and nothing was more precious than that.
"Oh, Sookie," said Niall reverently, "You look so divine, child."
I felt divine too. I knew I couldn't do much to repay them. They had offered to pay for practically everything simply because they thought of us as their 'kids'. We couldn't talk them out of it. And really, when we saw how happy it made them to do all this for us, I couldn't argue anymore. As I said, there wasn't much I could do, but there was one thing. One thing that I hoped would express to them how much they had come to mean to me, to us.
"Niall, Lafayette," I said trying to keep my composure, "You know you're my family now," a tear escaped my eye, and I tried in vain to keep it inside, "and it would mean the world to me," I said, breaking down like a little girl, "if you'd both walk me down the aisle."
There was no more holding back the tears. They both started sniffing and sniveling themselves before they agreed and gathered me into their arms. It had been an emotional couple of days. My parents were gone, my brother was no longer a part of my life, and dearest Gran wasn't by my side anymore. But, I had two fairy godfathers looking over me now. I had a fierce, yet devoted, new sister, and a best friend who was going to make me an auntie. And, I had Eric; a man who had loved me through the ages and, I was sure, for thousands of years to come too.
(Eric POV)
The combined fire power of Niall, Lafayette, Pam, and I made the wedding planning easy. No one could say no to us, and before we knew it, we had flowers, food, music, and photography all wrapped up. True to my word, I got Sookie a simple, plain gold wedding band, and she in turn got me a white gold band. The reality of it all should have hit me hard. I should have been freaking out; I should have been questioning it all. I should have been salivating after every woman that crossed my path… it never happened though.
I was never nervous. I never even entertained the idea of waiting longer. Sookie was it for me, and there was no reason we shouldn't make it official. The happiest moment for me though, was a small one: City Hall. We had to get our wedding license. We were both expecting hours on lines and massive hassles. To that end we got up early and were at the doors before they even opened, arms full of ID's, birth certificates, and anything else we could think of.
We had never discussed Sookie changing her name. Secretly, I would have loved nothing more than for her become Mrs. Sookie Northman. Of course, I also knew how strongly she clung to her independence and never once had I brought it up. I assumed she would simply keep her name, or possibly hyphenate it. So when the lady behind the counter asked her if she would be changing her name, and when it took her all of one second to reply, "Yes", I was the proudest, happiest, goofiest smiling idiot in New York City.
Mr. & Mrs. Sookie and Eric Northman.
It repeated over and over in my mind:
Mr. and Mrs. Northman let me introduce you to your child.
Mr. and Mrs. Northman, congratulations on the purchase of your new home.
Mr. and Mrs. Northman, welcome to the Hilton Hotel, please enjoy your stay.
I came up with hundreds of them − they all made me stand a little taller.
Our wedding was three days away. Between myself, Sookie and the "Fairy Godfathers," as Sookie had taken to calling Niall and Lafayette, we had a little over 100 people coming. We made sure to invite Amelia of course, but also Octavia. It was because of Octavia, in fact, that we were climbing a familiar set of steps to a familiar apartment in downtown Manhattan.
Octavia was thrilled to be invited and said that as our gift, she was going to take us back to the beginning. She was going to help us find the start of our story. She said she thought it was important to know before we were wed, exactly why we had found each other, and why we always would. I couldn't have agreed with her more.
We didn't know what to expect. We walked into the apartment hand-in-hand, equally scared and thrilled. We sat on the couch, and when Octavia, Amelia, Sookie and I joined hands, we were brought back to a time and place that had somehow been haunting us since we had met. We had had glimpses of that life. Sad, sometimes scary images of how we began, but now, the story unfolded before us in vivid detail.
The story of Eric and Sookie had come full circle. And, with the knowledge of our pasts, and the brilliant hopes and dreams of the future, we were ready to become man and wife.
A/N
*Zhiv carefully peeks out from behind computer screen*
Please don't fling rotten fruit at me?
I promise that everything will be revealed, trust me ok? I have a plan! But before that, you get the wedding, and ooh la la! How about a juicy lemon at the scene of the first crime? Can we all say Puerto Rico!
Sookie's wedding dress and shoes are in my profile.
Now come on, for the love of Sooks and the Viking, show the lowly writer some love. It's our life blood people!
