AN: Thank you to ljhjelm49, vilannh and desireecarbenell for reviewing xx
Thank you to ATescoLifeWithATwinAndMonkey for offering your opinions for me, I was worried that this chapter wasn't up to standards :S But you soothed that for me and I thank you a lot :D xx
ALL RIGHTS GO TO CHARALAINE HARRIS!
Chapter thirty-five
Eric's POV
"Eric, she is not answering her phone, and I have tried to phone her about seven times now!" Sookie panics, typing speedily on her phone. I assume she is texting Ammy now.
"Sookie, calm down. I am sure she is safe, she is with that Were after all and I trust that he will care for her and protect her no matter what. We will try to contact her again later on; maybe they are at the hospital, you never know, Lover. Just do not stress, it is not good for the baby, or for you for that matter" I note, wrapping my arms around Sookie's waist from behind, kissing her neck lightly as I rub my hands over her baby bump. To think that soon enough there will be another baby in the house. Another child. That should be fun, well, at least it is not two babies this time. The twins were quite a handful.
"You're right, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just overeating but after what that Cindy woman said, I guess…I guess I'm just panicking, thinking that the worst has happened when it probably hasn't" she sighs, turning around in my arms to embrace me. The twins are in bed, we sent them to bed the second we got home because it is very late. Far past their bed time.
"Eric, I just get this feeling that Ammy is…I don't know…I feel as though Ammy is going through a tough time, that she is about to do something that will upset us. But I don't know what, I don't even know what this feeling is" Sookie shakes her head, blatantly trying to figure out the feeling she is experiencing.
"Maybe it is this mother's intuition I hear about all the time" I remark, Sookie contemplating that as she pulls away from me and heads to the fridge, her pregnancy cravings probably kicking in.
"Yeah, maybe…"Sookie trails off, shutting the fridge door, a tomato in her hand. It's a good thing I got Pam to restock the fridge before we got back.
Ammy's POV
"Do I have to do that last one? Surely my age would affect my purity, if I were to do that wouldn't I be corrupting my purity?" I try to reason. The third act of purity really threw me, Isaac and Alec. We were all completely gobsmacked when Mr Loire said what the third one was; I still can't believe it now. I don't know if I would be able to do it, if I am to be honest.
"No, your age does not affect it in any way for the act is believed to only happen if those involved are pure at the soul and heart themselves" he announces, my eyes flickering to Alec who looks confused and nervous, Isaac is still wide eyed. I don't know why, it's not like he is going to be affected by this.
"But…that doesn't make sense… surely that is encouraging corruption due to the fact it is against the law for the act to take place in order to do that third act…this is all so confusing" I shake my head, Alec agreeing next to me. Clarence rolling his eyes at me.
"You remain here; the laws are different here than they are in that other world you like to hang around in. Think with your brain, that other world is not pure, whereas this world is" he points out, making me sigh. I cannot argue with that logic.
"How many times have you been to this other world?" I query, wandering if remarrying someone or marrying someone else is classed as being corrupt or being pure.
"Only twice. The first time was when I was a wee lad, only about 17. I first married then, but my wife died along with our child – who was only 3 months old at the time – in a car crash whilst she was in that other world. Your world. That is why I do not trust or like the other world. As for my second wife, she died of old age a couple of years ago and our daughter is now a grandma herself. Some believe that you can only love once, but that is never true, believe me. I am living proof, I have loved twice" he smiles weakly at us. I wonder how he managed to cope with doing all those acts twice. Plus his purity was never affected, surely it would have been…
"Do the acts have to be performed in the order you told us, or can they be done in any order? And how do I approach swapping worlds after performing the acts?" this isn't even making sense to my own ears, let alone anyone else's.
"Yes, they must be done in that order. By walking across the bubble wrap without popping the bubbles, you are proving you are pure enough for marriage. By marrying for love you are proving you are pure enough to follow through with the last act. When the last act has been complete, you will be proving you are pure at heart and soul which means that when you drink the concoction needed to separate your soul from your body, you will be able to cross over the realms and hopefully be able to return safely. To my knowledge, everyone has returned back to their bodies with no problems" he smiles at us, making me feel a little bit better about this whole situation.
"What's the time limit that they all have to be completed in?" Alec asks the wise question that has actually never ran through my head.
"Once you have begun the first act, you will have exactly one week to complete all three and drink the concoction. But remember this, the earlier you finish, the more pure you are, which means the higher the chance of you returning to your body is, plus it also makes the chances of you successfully reaching the other world higher" I hate doing probability in school, let alone in real life.
"But how do you know the last act has actually happened? It cannot be detected until at least ten days later after it has taken place" I point out, Clarence nodding in agreement to what I have said.
"That is true, but believe me, you will know if it has worked or not. The concoction will not separate your soul from your body if it hasn't happened" he informs me.
"Why does this all have to be so confusing and complicated? Why can't I just knock myself out and jump into the other world, why are there so many trials?" I think aloud with a sigh.
"Because Angels are pure beings themselves, therefore you must prove said purity to make sure you are accepted into the other world. If you are not pure and you have sinned, you will be left to rot in a world that you cannot escape. Did you never read that Angel bible thing we got given as kids?" Isaac probes, being the smartass he is.
"Yes, I did read it. But my memory isn't that good, you know that" I remind him, making him nod.
"Touché" he laughs, making me just roll my eyes at him. Boys.
"Thank you, Clarence. I will need some time to think about it, but when I come to a decision I will let you know" I assure him, getting up and heading out the front door with Alec and Isaac following behind me.
"You should really stop doubting me, I told you that he knew how to get there" Isaac tells me, obviously very proud of himself for proving me wrong.
"Isaac, thank you for this. It means a lot to me, but I need to talk to Alec on my own" before he can react I take Alec's hand and guide him over towards the small field where all the beautiful flowers grow. It's peaceful there; we'll be able to talk without interruption. I cannot do any of those acts without him, I need him, but if he is to be a part of this whole thing, we need to talk. This is going to be a huge responsibility for not only me, but for him. Marriage is a serious subject on its own, let alone the third act…
AN: I'm sorry for teasing you and hiding away the last act of purity, but I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter and you will all soon find out what this last act is. But in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas as to what this last act could possibly be? Xx Also, do I have any volunteers to help me sort out Eric and Sookie's wedding? It's hard to decide on one wedding dress when there are so many to choose from… :D xx